REDISTRICTING COULD LEAVE BOOTHEEL WITHOUT SENATOR

CAPE GIRARDEAU - A plan proposed by Republican members of the senatorial redistricting commission would leave the Bootheel without representation in the Missouri Senate for two years.

The plan, which was discussed at a weekend meeting of the commission and rejected by Democratic members, would have given the district represented by Sen. Jerry Howard, D-Dexter, an even number. Districts with even numbers will not be up for election until 1994, while odd numbered districts are on the ballot in 1992.

Since Howard is presently serving the 25th District, there would be no senator from several Bootheel counties when Howard's current district expires at the start of the 1993 legislative session.

Howard presently represents Stoddard, Dunklin, Pemiscot, Carter, Ripley, and Butler counties; under the Republican map, the new 22nd District would lose Ripley and Carter counties and gain New Madrid and Wayne counties.

The only way Howard could hold a Senate seat in 1993 and 1994 is by moving into an odd numbered district for the 1992 election.

The plan, which was offered last weekend by Republicans as a "take it or leave it" situation, included some Democratic revisions that had been suggested at an earlier meeting for senatorial districts in northern Missouri and the Kansas City area, noted Mark Pelts, a GOP member of the commission from Kennett.

Pelts expressed disappointment that the commission reached a deadlock, but said Republican members had compromised all they were going to.

"We couldn't agree that we couldn't agree; it was the ultimate disagreement," observed Pelts. "I am disappointed because any of us, when given a task, we would like to complete the task."

Asked about the impact of a plan that would leave his part of the state without a senator for two years, Pelts said it was unfortunate, but part of the process.

"It's a practical political reality that those things are going to happen around the state," declared Pelts.

"Do I like those things happening in my part of the state? No. Does anybody else? No. But it has to happen when you have shifts in population in the state. You have to reassign numbers to account for changes that have occurred more quickly."

Pelts explained that Republican areas of the state like Southwest Missouri and St. Charles County have grown over the last 10 years and are entitled to additional senators. "Those changes have been occurring over the last 10 years and we now have information to give those people the number of senators they are entitled to politically," said Pelts.

But he noted most Democratic maps would not have those new districts up for election until 1994.

Paul Bloch, director of elections for the Secretary of State's office, explained that redistricting cannot cut short anyone's term of office. That means senators elected from odd numbered districts in 1992 would be elected from districts with new boundary lines, while those representing even numbered districts would be representing old lines drawn in 1981 for two years. After the 1994 elections, all senators would be serving new districts.

Bloch noted that there would be some overlapping of representation in some counties during the 1993 and 1994 sessions.

Howard is out of town this week and was not available to comment on the map, but two Bootheel representatives charged Tuesday that changing numbers to eliminate a member from the Senate is not the purpose of redistricting.

"I think trying to switch numbers on a senator's district just so you can open up a district is not what redistricting is supposed to do," declared Rep. Larry Thomason, D-Kennett. "When you switch numbers like ours, we would go without a senator for two years. For Republicans to even propose a plan like that is the height of hypocrisy.

"Redistricting is difficult enough without screwing up the whole process with number shifts like this."

Rep. Joe Driskill, D-Doniphan, said he believes it is important during redistricting to separate the person in the office now from the office itself. He charged the Republican plan is unfair to the Bootheel and that it does not make sense to leave this area without a senator.

"What the commission has proposed is not in the best interests of the people of Southeast Missouri," observed Driskill.

"We have to make sure districts drawn in Southeast Missouri are good districts, and done without such shenanigans like drawing of new district numbers," said Driskill. "The interests of the people have to precede the interest of the politicians that are in the districts."

The Republican map would also put two Southeast Missouri Democratic senators - Danny Staples, of Shannon County, and Mike Lybyer, of Texas County - in the same 16th District. Because both are serving even numbered districts now and have just started new terms, they will not meet at the ballot box until 1994.

Things are not so simple for Sen. Jeff Schaeperkoetter, D-Owensville, who under the plan is moved into the 6th District of Larry Rohrbach, R-California. But since Schaeperkoetter is now in an odd numbered district, he cannot run against Rohrbach until 1994 and is faced with moving into an odd numbered district or sitting out two years.

The map also takes the 22nd District of Sen. Jay Nixon, D-Hillsboro, and changes it to an odd number. Even though he would still have two years remaining in his present term, in order to have a district to run in for 1994, he would have to run in a new odd numbered district next year.

Pelts agrees with John Powell of Rolla, chairman of the commission and a Republican member, that the Democratic maps were designed only to protect incumbents.

"Every map they submitted to us is what we would consider an incumbent map, which is a natural thing for Democrats to propose since they have 23 senators right now," said Pelts. "Unfortunately there are Democratic parts of the state that have lost population and are no longer entitled to a senator.

"They are trying to serve a 23-headed monster and nobody can work for 23 people at the same time."

The commission still has until Sept. 21 to come up with a plan, but Pelts said he doubts another meeting will be held. Seven members of the commission must agree for a plan to be approved. That means the map will be drawn by a panel of six appeals court judges, as was done in 1981.

Since Democrats hold a wide 23 to 11 advantage in the Senate, Republicans have conceded it would be in their best interests to take their chances with judges drawing the map than accepting one favoring incumbents.

The panel of judges would be appointed by Supreme Court Chief Justice Chip Robertson, a close friend and one-time top aide to Republican Gov. John Ashcroft.