Missouri House committee approves new congressional map

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) -- A Missouri House committee signed off Tuesday on a new congressional map that consolidates two districts in the city of St. Louis, splits up the central region of the state and covers most of the northern tier with one district.

State lawmakers over the past week have turned their attention to drawing a new U.S. House map with eight districts. Missouri lost one of its nine congressional districts after the 2010 census found that the state's 7 percent population growth over the past decade did not keep pace with the rest of the nation.

The House committee responsible for redistricting approved a map Tuesday with opposition from one Democratic lawmaker. House leaders say the full chamber could approve the map this week. A Senate congressional redistricting panel approved its plan without dissent Monday.

Rep. John Diehl, the chairman of the House panel, said his map is fair and compact. He said there has been opposition voiced by almost everyone -- Democrats and Republicans, representing suburban, urban and rural areas.

"If everybody is criticizing it but no one can show me anything better, than I think it's probably pretty good," said Diehl, R-Town and Country.

Under the House proposal, two congressional districts currently covering St. Louis city -- held by Democratic U.S. Reps. William Lacy Clay and Russ Carnahan -- would be consolidated into the 1st Congressional District that would also include part of St. Louis County. The 2nd Congressional District would cover the rest of St. Louis County, a segment of St. Charles County and a portion of Jefferson County.

State lawmakers have proposed the most changes for the current 9th Congressional District, which stretches from northeastern Missouri to the Lake of the Ozarks. The House plan would renumber it as the 3rd Congressional District and wrap it around the St. Louis-area to pick up northern Jefferson County. The district would extend west toward the Lake of the Ozarks and cover the Capitol's home of Cole County.

Rep. Ron Casey, D-Crystal City, sought to keep his home of Jefferson County in one congressional district, which is spread among three districts under the House plan. That proposed map was defeated.

Jefferson County Executive Ken Waller told lawmakers that he preferred to keep his county within one congressional district but could live with the House's plan to divide the county between the 2nd, 3rd and 8th congressional districts.

"You have power of one when you have one representative. You've got their focus, you've got their attention ... but I understand," Waller said.

Yet, the House's plan to draw the 8th Congressional District north into Jefferson County has generated criticism from Republican state lawmakers who represent southeastern Missouri.

Away from St. Louis, the House and Senate maps extend Republican Rep. Sam Graves' 6th Congressional District from northwestern Missouri east to the Mississippi River. It also would take in a swath of Jackson County. The 5th Congressional District in Kansas City would gain parts of Clay County and go east to several largely rural counties. The 4th Congressional District in the Senate map would extend east from the Kansas border and get Boone County, which is home to the University of Missouri-Columbia.

Also Tuesday, two state commissions started work on redrawing the boundaries for the 163-member House and 34-member Senate. Commission members were sworn in Tuesday, chose their officers and set public hearings. The Missouri Constitution requires the commissions to redraw legislative boundaries, and the 10-member Senate panel and 18-member House commission have an even split between Republicans and Democrats. The panels plan public hearings April 28 in Jefferson City, May 23 in Springfield, May 24 in Kansas City and May 25 in St. Louis.

Former Democratic lawmaker Doug Harpool is the chairman of the Senate commission and former Democratic Lt. Gov. Joe Maxwell is the chairman of the House commission. Republican John Maupin is the vice chairman of the Senate panel and the House commission's vice chairwoman is Republican Ann Wagner, who was the ambassador to Luxembourg and is considering whether to run for the U.S. Senate.

A newly formed group that focused on state legislative districts is urging the commissions to develop more politically competitive seats. Bob Johnson, a former Republican lawmaker and the group's president, said too many state Legislature races have essentially been decided before the general election and that limits the potential for independence among state lawmakers.