Cole County judge rules in favor of the state in special session lawsuit
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KMIZ)
A Cole County judge ruled this week that Gov. Mike Kehoe acted within his legal authority when he called a special session for redistricting.
The decision, issued by Judge Christopher Limbaugh, confirms the legality of the session and the resulting House Bill 1, which redraws Missouri’s congressional district.
The NAACP challenged the constitutionality of the special session. The organization argued that the governor’s proclamation did not meet the legal requirements to justify an extraordinary legislative meeting.
State attorneys argued that the decision to call such a session is subjective and remains within the governor’s purview.
Limbaugh determined that because the basic requirements for the proclamation were satisfied, the special session was legal. He explained in his ruling that the state constitution provides the governor with the necessary leeway to manage legislative priorities during extraordinary circumstances.
“As long as the basic requirements for the proclamation are met, the governor has the constitutional discretion to decide whether an extraordinary occasion exists, to decide whether or not to proclaim an extraordinary session of the legislature and then to decide what action is deemed necessary to address it,” Limbaugh wrote.
In addition to the primary ruling, the judge stated that all other pending motions and claims for relief in the case were denied.
