Missouri House panel proposes new congressional districts

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- A Missouri House committee is proposing to consolidate the two congressional districts in St. Louis into a single district.

Missouri is losing one of its nine seats in the U.S. House because of population changes. The legislature is creating the new district boundaries, and the House committee unveiled its proposed map Wednesday. While putting St. Louis into a single district, the committee's map would also extend a northwestern district to cover much of northern Missouri.

Republican House panel chairman John Diehl said the map is a starting point. The committee planned hearings on it today and Monday, with the full House possibly taking it up next week.