Kehoe to sign new congressional map into law Sunday

EDITOR'S NOTE: References to initiative petition reform, which will go before voters, have been removed.

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KMIZ)

A bill from September's special session is up for Gov. Mike Kehoe's signature in a closed-door signing Sunday.

A new congressional map, dubbed the "Missouri First" map, is ready to be signed. The map splits Democratic U.S. Rep. Emanuel Cleaver’s Fifth District in Kansas City into three. This will merge it with more rural and republican areas, likely removing Cleaver's seat and giving the Republican Party a boost in the next election.

Critics argue the new district lines divide communities and limit voters’ ability to choose their own representatives. Several lawsuits have also popped up against the state, arguing against the validity of the special session.

Supporters of the map argue it strengthens Missouri's republican voice.

"Missouri’s conservative, common-sense values should be truly represented at all levels of government, and the Missouri First Map delivers just that," Kehoe said in a statement.

After being signed, the new congressional map will go into effect for the 2026 election cycle.