REDISTRICTING COULD EXPAND 158TH HOUSE DISTRICT

State Rep. Jason Crowell figures he'll have to campaign in all of Cape Girardeau next year.

Crowell says redistricting likely will expand the boundaries of his 158th House District while shrinking state Rep. David Schwab's 157th District, whose population soared by 30 percent in the last decade.

The population of Crowell's district, which covers all but the western edge of Cape Girardeau, declined by 2,186 people over the past 10 years, recently released 2000 census figures show.

State Reps. Lanie Black of Charleston and Denny Merideth of Caruthersville also saw population declines in their House districts.

The population of Black's 161st District declined by 1,941 people or 6 percent, leaving the district with 30,514 residents. The district includes Mississippi County and parts of New Madrid and Scott counties. A Republican, Black represents an area that historically has sent Democrats to the state House.

The population of Democratic Rep. Denny Merideth's 162nd District dropped by 2,278 or 7.2 percent, the most of any Southeast Missouri district. The district, which covers Pemiscot and parts of Dunklin and New Madrid counties, has 29,177 people, census figures reveal.

Republican lawmakers say those two Bootheel districts are certain to be expanded geographically to boost their population totals when districts are redrawn later this year.

As for Crowell's district, the 6.9 percent drop leaves the 158th District with 29,291 residents. That's nearly 4,000 less than the expected 34,000 population level being calculated for House districts as part of redistricting.

In contrast, Schwab's district, which includes the high-growth area of Jackson, grew by 9,483 people to 40,750.

Schwab's district covers all of Cape Girardeau County, except for the part of the city of Cape Girardeau represented by Crowell. Schwab's district includes the city of Cape Girardeau's 17th precinct, a growing area on the western edge of the city that includes residential subdivisions west of Mount Auburn Road.

Slightly more compact

Schwab, who will end his state representative career in 2002 because of term limits, said it would make sense to expand Crowell's district by moving the 17th precinct into the 158th District.

Schwab, a Jackson-area Republican, also favors removing a small section of Bollinger County from the 157th District.

Those two moves could make for a slightly more compact legislative district for whoever succeeds Schwab.

Crowell said any changes in the boundaries of the two legislative districts shouldn't change the political landscape. Both Cape Girardeau County districts are solidly Republican.

Crowell likes the idea of expanding his district to include all of the city of Cape Girardeau. He thinks it would be less confusing for voters and residents.

"It is even confusing to candidates," said Crowell, a Cape Girardeau lawyer.

Crowell said he learned the district's boundaries when he decided to run for the state House seat last year.

"One of the first things I did was make sure where the lines were," he said. He quickly discovered that the Clippard Elementary School area wasn't in his district.

Growth near Poplar Bluff

State Rep. Rod Jetton, R-Marble Hill, figures to lose part of his sprawling 156th District, which stretches from Marble Hill to the Arkansas line.

The population of Jetton's district grew by 4,699 people in the decade of the 1990s. Jetton credited much of the 15 percent growth to population gains in Butler County near Poplar Bluff.

Jetton doesn't expect sweeping changes in legislative boundaries in Southeast Missouri. Jetton said the region hasn't grown enough to warrant added House seats.

"I don't believe anybody is going to be handed a whole big chunk of Democratic voters or Republican voters," he said.

The Senate is controlled by Republicans while Democrats control the House. But Senate President Pro Tem Peter Kinder, R-Cape Girardeau, believes the population growth in southwest Missouri and in the suburban St. Louis area could shift the political balance and bring Republicans to power in the House.

"You see a wholesale rolling realignment of outstate Missouri from Democrat to Republican," Kinder said.