Mo. Senate map opponents dismiss federal lawsuit

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) -- Opponents of a new Missouri Senate map have dropped their federal lawsuit challenging the redrawn districts.

The plaintiffs voluntarily dismissed their lawsuit Tuesday -- the day after a bipartisan state redistricting commission unanimously approved the final map for the 34-district Senate. The commission had made several adjustments from an earlier version to smooth out population differences.

Attorney Eddie Greim declined to comment on the reason the lawsuit was dismissed.

Dismissal of the federal lawsuit brings some clarity to a chaotic redistricting process just two weeks before the deadline for candidates to file for this year's elections.

Senate districts were redrawn based upon the 2010 census. The lawsuit claimed the earlier version of the map violated equal protection rights and favored urban voters at the expense of those in rural areas.