ACLU argues in court that not suspending new congressional map tramples voters’ rights

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Lawyers for the ACLU argued in court Tuesday that voters' rights under the Missouri Constitution are being trampled if a new mid-decade congressional map is active.

The ACLU and the State of Missouri met in the Cole County Circuit Court on Tuesday for a hearing in a lawsuit asking for a preliminary injunction to pause the redistricting map.

The ACLU, which is representing two Kansas City voters, is asking the Cole County courts to suspend House Bill 1, a bill passed during a special session that redrew the state's congressional map mid-decade. The suit, filed in December 2025, follows the state's claim that the activist group People Not Politicians inaccurately announced that Missouri's new congressional district map was frozen.

The ACLU is looking for an expedited trial, and if that is not possible, a preliminary injunction to prevent the state from using the new congressional map.

The state and political action committee Put Missouri First are looking to have the case thrown out.

The ACLU claims that the Missouri Constitution suspends a law when a referendum on it starts. They argue that when the secretary of state received 305,000 signatures to put the new congressional map on the ballot on Dec. 9, the new congressional map frozen and will be unusable until it's voted on in November.

"Is House Bill 1 suspended right now? That's it, it's a straightforward question," attorney for the ACLU Johnathan Hawley said.

The group added that if the map is frozen, the state claiming it is not active goes against voters' rights to petition the government to suspend a law. The ACLU also argues that since the current status of the map is unclear, the voters they represent have voiced confusion about which district they are represented in.

"Missouri voters of the state, we have the right to referendum, and that's the interest that is being infringed upon right here," Tori Schafer, the director of policy and campaigns for the ACLU of Missouri, said.

The new districts will also affect candidate filing on Feb. 24 for the upcoming 2026 midterm election, with candidates needing a clear map to know what districts to file for and who they are representing.

"This problem will get worse the closer we get," Hawley said.

The Attorney General's Office claims that the ACLU and People Not Politicians are promoting a false narrative, arguing that the freeze only occurs when the signatures are validated by the secretary of state. The office claims that at this time, it has not been confirmed that enough signatures have been submitted. Referendum petition signatures must equal 5% of legal voters in each of two-thirds of the congressional districts in the state to pass. County election offices have a deadline of July to verify the signatures.

Louis Capozzi, representing the state, argued that the ACLU has the right to sue the state but only after signatures are certified by the secretary of state.

"The plaintiffs are trying to circumvent the statutory process," Capozzi said.

The group Put Missouri First was allowed to join the lawsuit as a defendant. The group filed a motion to intervene, arguing that they should be allowed as a defendant in the lawsuit because it opposes the redistricting referendum and plays a role in funding and shaping opposition efforts, according to court documents.

A bench trial has been scheduled for 9 a.m. Feb. 18.