Missouri Senate wraps for year after passing new congressional map
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KMIZ)
In an unexpected move, Missouri Senate wrapped for the year a day early.
The Senate passed a new congressional map that now heads to the governor’s desk after the chamber passed the new map in a 22 to 11 vote. The Senate was meant to take up the map, passed out of the House of Representatives Monday, in a special committee at noon Wednesday. Instead, Senators filibustered through their meeting time and rescheduled meeting time, until it was brought up on the floor for a final vote.
The new map still splits Boone into both the Third and Fourth Congressional District through Columbia. When introducing the new map as an amendment in committee, Rep. Dan Shaul (R-Imperial) said he moved the Columbia split in an effort to keep like-minded communities together. However, Rep. David Tyson Smith (D-Columbia) detests the split that goes down Broadway.
"It makes you wonder what's behind that, like who has something to gain by this?" Smith said. "There's obviously something going on behind the scenes where somebody, it's in someone's political favor to do this."
The new map still keeps both Missouri military bases in the Fourth Congressional District, which was a priority for senators.
It will now go to the governor's desk. Both chambers passed an emergency clause, which means the map will immediately go when the governor signs it.
Following adjournment, Senators held a press conference where they lamented what an exhausting session it was. Sen. Caleb Rowden (R-Columbia) acknowledged that the Republican Party in the Senate was split, which made it take a long time to agree on a map.
"I think ultimately you know personalities always play a critical role in a lot of stuff but ultimately i think cooler heads prevailed and no one frankly on either side of the aisle wanted anyone else outside the chamber to have final input on the map," Rowden said.
Democratic Senators, led by Minority Leader Sen. John Rizzo (D-Independence), said they're fine with an early adjournment. Being in the minority, Democrats say not much goes in their favor after the budget is passed.
"I don't remember a session and I've been a part of a few now where I've felt so emotionally drained and trying to figure out the way out of the maze to get to the end without leaving trail of fire and brimstone, and we did that today," Rizzo said.
