Missouri redistricting lawsuit goes to trial for third time

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KMIZ)

A Cole County judge will hear arguments in a lawsuit trying to overturn Missouri's new congressional map for a third time Monday.

The case was supposed to be heard at the beginning of November but was postponed because the judge was ill. It was supposed to go to trial again two weeks later, but an intervenor stepped in and requested a new judge, which was granted.

People Not Politicians argues Secretary of State Denny Hoskins failed to follow Missouri open records laws by not approving the referendum language.

The state argues that because the governor hadn't signed the new congressional map into law during the initial submission of the language, he couldn't approve it.

There's a third party in this case, intervenor Put Missouri First that was added into the mix at the last trial.

Attorney for the group Marc Ellinger says his client's campaign funding and advocacy are at stake in this lawsuit.

Ellinger requested ballot signatures and additional information from People Not Politicians, which the group argues is irrelevant to this case, according to court documents. The judge sided with Ellinger.

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