JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — Republicans on Monday raised doubts about pursuing a congressional map that eliminates one of two Democratic districts in Missouri despite a push to do so by many in the party.
GOP members of the House Redistricting Committee questioned the concept in response to comments by Susan Klein, executive director of Missouri Right to Life, who said Republicans should pursue a “7-1” map comprised of seven Republicans and one Democrat.
“We’ve seen Missouri grow more conservative and I believe that right now is the time to fight for a 7-1 map,” Klein told the House Redistricting Committee.
But Rep. Dan Shaul, chairman of the panel who has proposed a map that likely maintains the status quo in Missouri’s U.S. House delegation — six Republicans and two Democrats — said he doubted a 7-1 map could pass the Senate.
The Imperial Republican also raised concerns about a possible court challenge.
“Is it worth the risk for the reward?” Shaul asked.
Rep. Travis Fitzwater, R-Holts Summit, said he “would love” a 7-1 map but noted the GOP needed to place an emergency clause on the draft that is approved for it to take effect immediately, before the Aug. 2 primaries.
Republicans currently lack the votes to place an emergency clause on legislation by themselves, meaning Democratic support would be required.
“If we don’t get the emergency clause attached to this bill, if it were a 7-1 map, how does that play out?” Fitzwater asked. “Because the map wouldn’t go into effect until Aug. 28, which is after the primary.”
Klein said Gov. Mike Parson, a Republican, should call a special legislative session, to run concurrently with the regular legislative session, so that the 7-1 map can be approved.
“It is possible to do this,” Klein said. “Republicans across this state are looking to the leaders that we put in place to make this happen.”
Rep. Shamed Dogan, R-Ballwin, said to Klein “every single thing that you’ve been talking about is conflating pro-life with Republican and I have a problem with that.”
“The pro-life movement and the pro-life cause is too important to just say that it’s a partisan issue,” he said.
“Shouldn’t we try and change hearts and minds (among Democrats)?” Dogan asked.
Rep. Ben Baker, a Neosho Republican and one of the most conservative members of the GOP caucus, also questioned the 7-1 approach.
“I’m all for the cause when it comes to pro-life,” Baker said. “If this goes to the courts, what could the result be for the cause?
“I think in just about every scenario that I’ve tried to play out in my mind of a 7-1 map, it seems to me that we lose, and we could be in a worse situation for the cause,” he said.
The discussion occurred as Shaul was presenting his 6-2 map to the committee on Monday.
Shaul introduced the plan Dec. 30 with his Senate counterpart, Sen. Mike Bernskoetter, R-Jefferson City, who is leading the upper chamber’s redistricting efforts.
It preserves the 1st District, currently represented by Rep. Cori Bush, D-St. Louis, and the 5th District, by Rep. Emanuel Cleaver, D-Kansas City, for the Democrats.
The map is “drawn to achieve the greatest amount of consensus possible,” Bernskoetter said last month, emphasizing “the great care that went into drawing a map we were confident could survive legislative, judicial and public scrutiny.”
Republican hard-liners blasted the draft, calling for a 7-1 map that torpedoes Cleaver’s district.
Democrats, satisfied that Cleaver’s Democratic district is intact under Shaul’s plan, have focused on tinkering with the 2nd Congressional District, held by Rep. Ann Wagner, R-Ballwin, to maximize the party’s chances there over the next decade.
House Minority Leader Crystal Quade, D-Springfield, introduced her own draft map last week that she said makes the 2nd more competitive than under the GOP proposal.
It also adjusts the 1st so that it takes in parts of St. Charles rather than the Democratic precincts in mid and south St. Louis County envisioned in the GOP proposal.
Rep. LaKeySha Bosley, D-St. Louis, on Monday questioned the best way to keep the 1st a majority-minority district for the next decade. The Republican plan extends the 1st to cover parts of St. Louis County such as Webster Groves, which votes Democratic but is majority white.
“What do we do to make sure 10 years from now that that still holds — that minority-majority truth?” Bosley asked.
“I think this will stay that way,” Shaul said.
Shaul said the committee planned to vote on his map Wednesday morning.
The legislation will then move to the House Rules Committee before advancing to the House floor for debate.
The legislation is House Bill 2117.
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