Mo. high court examines lawsuit over House map

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- The Missouri Supreme Court is focusing on population requirements for Missouri House districts as it weighs a legal challenge to a new map of district boundaries.

The high court heard arguments Monday in a lawsuit challenging the map, which adjusts the outlines of the 163 House districts based on the 2010 census.

A bipartisan group that includes two former state lawmakers argues the new map violates requirements for districts to have similar populations.

Their lawsuit also asserts the redrawn districts don't meet a requirement to be contiguous and compact. The plaintiffs also accuse the special judicial panel that drew the map of violating Missouri's open meetings law.