REDISTRICTING EFFORT NEARS FINAL DEADLINE

With Saturday's deadline approaching, there is at least a possibility that the Missouri House Redistricting Commission will have one more meeting.

Last month in Kansas City, the commission approved a new map for the state's 163 districts. By law, they have until Saturday to formally adopt a final plan. But at the meeting last month, the commissioners agreed that the map could be their final one.

Late Wednesday afternoon, Woody Cozad of Platte City, the commission chairman, told The Associated Press he planned to deliver the map to the Secretary of State's office Friday, and that the panel would not meet again.

But Wednesday night, John Lichtenegger of Jackson, the 8th District Republican on the commission, said he had been advised the group might meet on Friday. Several hours earlier, Lichtenegger said he had been told the commission was done and the plan adopted last month would become final.

"I don't know if we will have a meeting or not, but there is some renewed talk about having one," said Lichtenegger, who added that he would ask Cozad to call a meeting on Friday.

Mel Weems of Bonne Terre, the Democrat on the panel from the 8th District, said Wednesday afternoon he wanted to meet one more time. But Weems admitted, the ultimate decision on whether to call a meeting rests with Cozad, a Republican.

"I thought we ought to meet and have a final vote, just to make it official if nothing else," said Weems.

Both Lichtenegger and Weems said they would be receptive to considering some minor changes in the plan. At least one of the changes could involve the Southeast Missouri area.

Rep. Gene Copeland, D-New Madrid, was trying Wednesday to get the map changed to give him more of New Madrid County by keeping Portageville in his district.

Rep. Dennis Ziegenhorn, D-Sikeston, said Wednesday he had been presented a revised plan by Copeland and had agreed to it. The new plan would still split Scott City and have incumbent Rep. Ollie Amick, D-Scott City, and Copeland in the same district. Amick has also indicated he might move to another part of Scott City to run against Ziegenhorn.

"I'm involved in trying to work out a revision with Rep. Copeland, and am receptive to some changes," said Ziegenhorn.

Rep. Joe Driskill said Wednesday he had no idea whether the commission would meet again, but said he had sent a letter to members last week requesting a minor change in his district.

Driskill, who moved last year to a home in Butler County just outside of Poplar Bluff, wants to keep Doniphan in his district, which is his hometown. He proposed a minor revision that would enable him to keep Doniphan and indicated other representatives who would be affected, supported the plan.

"I was led to believe that if the commission met again, changes could be made if they were not substantiative changes," said Driskill.

Ron Gladney of Brentwood, a Democrat and vice chairman of the commission, said Wednesday he felt they should meet one more time for a final vote to clear up any legal questions. A group of Missouri House Democrats are contending the commission still has to take a final vote before the plan is official and have warned they may challenge it in court unless another vote is taken.

"I think there is certainly a legal issue as to whether this can be considered the final plan," said Gladney.

But Cozad disagreed. "We have adopted a good, clean, legal constitutional map," he declared.

Cozad said he could see no reason to get the commission back together simply to help Copeland get Portageville in his district, adding "that point is political and of no benefit to the commission."

He stressed there was no reason for the commission to get involved in swapping precincts. "They only benefit some incumbent who wants a certain block or precinct where he taught school or sold insurance," added Cozad.

Lichtenegger said he would support making minor changes in the plan, including the one drafted by Copeland and Ziegenhorn.

Lichtenegger said that as the plan now stands, it would likely have two legal challenges. One would come from House Democrats over some technical issues about how the plan was approved, and the other would claim the plan does not provide adequate minority representation as required by the federal Voting Rights Act.

"I think it is better to remove all the glitches you can," said Lichtenegger in expressing his support for a final meeting. Having one more meeting could prevent a legal challenge from the group of House Democrats, he noted.

As for the concerns expressed about black representation, Lichtenegger said, "I think Republicans on the commission, as well as Democratic commissioners, gave very strong proportional, if not greater proportional representation to black interests than the numbers justify."

He said the federal Voting Rights Act requires the commission to create minority districts "and great care and concern was given to that."

Lichtenegger added, "I think there is a concern anytime you do something like this that the court might do something to frustrate the will of the commission. We did not have a law firm representing us to make sure we did everything exactly and correctly each and every step of the way. I would hope that if there was some technicality, or whatever, the courts would not throw out the plan."

Lichtenegger said if there were any legal challenges, he hoped courts would consider the fact that 14 of the 18 commissioners, including five of the Democrats, voted for the plan.

He added that it is not possible for the commission to please everyone, especially in Southeast Missouri where one House seat had to be eliminated by putting Amick in another representative's district. While some have expressed concern about the plan, Lichtenegger said that many representatives have said they like it.

"I hate to see any representatives unhappy, but there would have been no way to get a plan in which 100 percent of the House of Representative members in the 8th District would be thanking Mr. Weems or me."