Redistricting going back to governor-appointed committee

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Missouri voters passed Amendment 3 Tuesday, undoing changes to how the state draws congressional and state legislative districts.

In 2018, voters put redistricting in the hands of an independent, non-partisan demographer. Amendment 3 hands the reins back to a governor-appointed committee.

Several voters told ABC 17 News on Tuesday morning that Amendment 3 was one of the prime issues that motivated them to vote, along with the presidential race.

Clean Missouri, a political action committee, said the politicians who wrote Amendment 3 were trying to trick voters into reversing their 2018 decision and it worked.

"We are of course very disappointed that the politicians’ lies and deception appear to have been effective enough to pass Amendment 3," Clean Missouri said in a statement.

Nicholson said the lobbying reforms added to Amendment 3 were a "smoke screen."

"It may look nice but the fact is, it's just a $5 change to lobbyist contribution limits. It's just $100 change to contribution limits for state Senate candidates," he said early Tuesday.

Missouri Farm Bureau President Blake Hurst disagreed. His organization was among the most vocal supporters of Amendment 3, along with the Republican legislators who voted to put it on the ballot.

"There are two different reforms and although neither one of them appear very large they are they do matter," Hurst said. "Over time that'll make quite a bit of difference on the amount of money going into legislative races."

In a statement late Tuesday, Hurst said voters were "loud and clear" on Amendment 3 and making sure there wouldn't be out-of-state "meddling" in Missouri's elections.

"Amendment 3 will continue to keep our communities whole in next year’s redistricting process," Hurst said.

Clean Missouri said while the amendment paves the way for "radical gerrymandering," the organization will be active and engaged in the redistricting process.

Legislative districts will be drawn after the results of the 2020 census are released.