Proposed House district map would move counties into Fourth District
COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)
Proposed maps released by the committees redrawing Missouri's congressional boundaries would add several counties to the Fourth Congressional District.
Chariton County, which is currently in the Sixth Congressional District represented by Sam Graves, R-Tarkio, would move into the Fourth District, which includes Columbia and other Mid-Missouri counties. Rep. Vicky Hartzler, R-Harrisonville, currently represents the Fourth District.
Saline, Carroll, Lafayette and part of Ray County would also move into the Fourth District.
The Third Congressional District, which includes Jefferson City, Fulton and much of the southern and eastern stretches of Central Missouri, would remain largely unchanged. That district is represented by Blaine Luetkemeyer, R-St. Elizabeth.
State Rep. Dan Shaul, R-Imperial, filed a bill with the new maps for legislative approval Thursday, according to a news release from the Missouri House.
The maps are redrawn every 10 years following the census. Missouri law requires legislators to redraw the congressional maps after an amendment putting that task in the hands of a nonpartisan demographer was repealed last year. A bipartisan commission is working to redraw state legislative districts.
“This is a fair and constitutional map with common-sense boundaries that everyday Missourians can recognize,” state Sen, Mike Bernskoetter, R-Jefferson City, and chair of the Senate Select Committee on Redistricting, said in a statement. “This map, which must be passed by both the House and Senate, is also drawn to achieve the greatest amount of consensus possible. My House counterpart and I chose to make this joint announcement to emphasize the great care that went into drawing a map we were confident could survive legislative, judicial, and public scrutiny."
