SEMO graduate and Stoddard County lawyer sits on Missouri House redistricting panel

Michael Moroni, an attorney in private practice in Bloomfield, Missouri, and 1980 graduate of Southeast Missouri State University, is a member of the 20-person redistricting commission appointed in July by Gov. Mike Parson to come up with new legislative maps for the Missouri House.

Moroni, also a graduate of the Southern Illinois University School of Law, is a former municipal judge in Bloomfield, the Stoddard County seat.

Becky Leonard

Moroni is joined in representing the 8th Congressional District by Becky Leonard in what is formally known as the House Independent Bipartisan Citizens Commission.

Leann Green

The 8th District is represented on the Senate Independent Bipartisan Citizens Commission by Leann Green and Leamon Asher.

Leamon Asher

The new legislative maps are necessary following the results of the 2020 U.S. Census.

In November, more than 1.3 million Missourians voted to repeal changes from 2018's so-called Clean Missouri Act, which had placed the maps in the hands of a nonpartisan state demographer.

Last year's changes reverted the system to bipartisan commissions to draw districts for the state Senate and House.

Marilyn McLeod, president of the League of Women Voters in Missouri, said "the final maps will determine what district we live in, who represents us and how they will allocate resources for our communities for the next 10 years."

A public hearing will be held at 10 a.m. today at Drury Plaza Hotel in Cape Girardeau to gather public comment for the House commission's work.

The House and Senate redistricting commissioners have until late January to design 163 Missouri House and 34 Missouri Senate districts that would be used for the first time in 2022.

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