By Tessa Weinberg
But the divide between GOP leadership and the conservative caucus in the Senate proved to be too much, sparking a filibuster by Republican senators determined to force through a map splitting Democratic U.S. Rep. Emanuel Cleaver’s Kansas City district in order to ensure Republicans held a 7-1 advantage in the map.
(Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft speaks to demonstrators who support a 7-1 Congressional map in the Missouri Capitol on Feb. 7, 2022- Photo by Tessa Weinberg/Missouri Independent).
By 9:20 p.m. Monday, four hours after the filibuster began, it was still ongoing.
Ahead of the anticipated Senate debate on the proposed Missouri Congressional map, several GOP officials urged over 100 supporters gathered Monday in the Capitol to continue to press for a redrawn map that would add an additional seat in Republicans’ favor.
The House quickly sent the proposed Congressional map to the Senate in the first two weeks of the legislative session. That version, which was passed out of the Senate Redistricting Committee late last month, maintains the current partisan balance of the state’s Congressional delegation — six Republican seats and two Democratic seats.
Yet while the Senate has been mired in disagreement over the map, it wasn’t until Monday that it was formally brought to the Senate floor for discussion.
Republicans met for hours Monday to come up with a compromise to redraw Missouri’s eight congressional districts.
But the divide between GOP leadership and the conservative caucus in the Senate proved to be too much, sparking a filibuster by Republican senators determined to force through a map splitting Democratic U.S. Rep. Emanuel Cleaver’s Kansas City district in order to ensure Republicans held a 7-1 advantage in the map.
By 9:20 p.m. Monday, four hours after the filibuster began, it was still ongoing.
Ahead of the anticipated Senate debate on the proposed Missouri Congressional map, several GOP officials urged over 100 supporters gathered Monday in the Capitol to continue to press for a redrawn map that would add an additional seat in Republicans’ favor.
The House quickly sent the proposed Congressional map to the Senate in the first two weeks of the legislative session. That version, which was passed out of the Senate Redistricting Committee late last month, maintains the current partisan balance of the state’s Congressional delegation — six Republican seats and two Democratic seats.
Yet while the Senate has been mired in disagreement over the map, it wasn’t until Monday that it was formally brought to the Senate floor for discussion.
At Monday’s rally, U.S. Senate candidate and attorney Mark McCloskey was in attendance. In an interview, McCloskey said a 7-1 map accurately reflects the makeup of Missouri and its values.
“The Democrats would never give us a break. If they had super majorities in both houses, they would carve up Republican districts like there’s no tomorrow,” McCloskey said. “Time for the Republicans to show some spine.”
Conservative activists have been urging people to make their voices heard, and senators have said they’ve been inundated with calls.
Eigel questioned why Republican leadership wasn’t in favor of a 7-1 map, when he’s received visits and calls from conservative residents who want just that.
“Because they don’t have a governor leading them,” an attendee shouted.
Gov. Mike Parson will ultimately have the power to approve or veto any map that lawmakers pass. Last month, Parson told KCMO Talk Radio that he’s ultimately looking for a map that reflects Missouri’s Republican majority.
“Whatever gets to my desk — whether it’s a 7-1 or 6-2 — as long as it’s a good, solid Republican map, that’s the way this state lines up and that’s the kind of map I’m looking for,” he said. “I’m not looking for a watered down version of anything. It needs to be rock solid and it should be.”
Monday’s rally also follows a protest last week in which over a hundred anti-vaccine mandate demonstrators came to the Capitol to oppose former state health director Don Kauerauf’s confirmation. Republican lawmakers were ultimately successful in shooting down Kauerauf’s confirmation — banning him from the position for life. He later resigned.
“Because when you’re here in-person, and letting your voice be heard, as we found out last week,” Eigel said to cheers, “it’s a lot more difficult to ignore the people in Missouri when they’re standing right in front of you.”
By 9:20 p.m. Monday, four hours after the filibuster began, it was still ongoing.
Ahead of the anticipated Senate debate on the proposed Missouri Congressional map, several GOP officials urged over 100 supporters gathered Monday in the Capitol to continue to press for a redrawn map that would add an additional seat in Republicans’ favor.
The House quickly sent the proposed Congressional map to the Senate in the first two weeks of the legislative session. That version, which was passed out of the Senate Redistricting Committee late last month, maintains the current partisan balance of the state’s Congressional delegation — six Republican seats and two Democratic seats.
Yet while the Senate has been mired in disagreement over the map, it wasn’t until Monday that it was formally brought to the Senate floor for discussion.
But the divide between GOP leadership and the conservative caucus in the Senate proved to be too much, sparking a filibuster by Republican senators determined to force through a map splitting Democratic U.S. Rep. Emanuel Cleaver’s Kansas City district in order to ensure Republicans held a 7-1 advantage in the map.
By 9:20 p.m. Monday, four hours after the filibuster began, it was still ongoing.
Ahead of the anticipated Senate debate on the proposed Missouri Congressional map, several GOP officials urged over 100 supporters gathered Monday in the Capitol to continue to press for a redrawn map that would add an additional seat in Republicans’ favor.
The House quickly sent the proposed Congressional map to the Senate in the first two weeks of the legislative session. That version, which was passed out of the Senate Redistricting Committee late last month, maintains the current partisan balance of the state’s Congressional delegation — six Republican seats and two Democratic seats.
Yet while the Senate has been mired in disagreement over the map, it wasn’t until Monday that it was formally brought to the Senate floor for discussion.
“The Democrats would never give us a break. If they had super majorities in both houses, they would carve up Republican districts like there’s no tomorrow,” McCloskey said. “Time for the Republicans to show some spine.”
Conservative activists have been urging people to make their voices heard, and senators have said they’ve been inundated with calls.
Eigel questioned why Republican leadership wasn’t in favor of a 7-1 map, when he’s received visits and calls from conservative residents who want just that.
“Because they don’t have a governor leading them,” an attendee shouted.
Gov. Mike Parson will ultimately have the power to approve or veto any map that lawmakers pass. Last month, Parson told KCMO Talk Radio that he’s ultimately looking for a map that reflects Missouri’s Republican majority.
“Whatever gets to my desk — whether it’s a 7-1 or 6-2 — as long as it’s a good, solid Republican map, that’s the way this state lines up and that’s the kind of map I’m looking for,” he said. “I’m not looking for a watered down version of anything. It needs to be rock solid and it should be.”
Monday’s rally also follows a protest last week in which over a hundred anti-vaccine mandate demonstrators came to the Capitol to oppose former state health director Don Kauerauf’s confirmation. Republican lawmakers were ultimately successful in shooting down Kauerauf’s confirmation — banning him from the position for life. He later resigned.
“Because when you’re here in-person, and letting your voice be heard, as we found out last week,” Eigel said to cheers, “it’s a lot more difficult to ignore the people in Missouri when they’re standing right in front of you.”
1 comment:
Not super fond of reducing the voice of those that represent the democratic view but with NY and IL eliminating republican seats it does not seem fair. Everyone has to either be representative or only those being fair will be punished.
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