SENATE REDISTRICTING MAY ALTER SOUTHEAST REGION

One map apparently being given serious consideration by members of the Missouri Senate Redistricting Commission would make major changes in the makeup of Southeast Missouri districts.

The plan, which is a modified version of one presented by Republican members of the commission last month, would make the 27th district now served by Sen. John Dennis, D-Benton, more Republican, and the 25th district now served by Sen. Jerry Howard, D-Dexter, more solidly Democratic. Currently, both districts lean Democratic.

The plan, which was one of those discussed by commission members behind closed doors in Jefferson City Tuesday, would also put Democratic Sens. Danny Staples and Mike Lybyer in the same district. Staples lives in Shannon County and Lybyer lives in adjoining Texas County.

Staples and Lybyer were both elected to four-year terms in 1990 and by law cannot have their terms ended early by redistricting. That means both would continue to serve in the Senate until after an election for the new district in 1994.

Democratic and Republican members of the commission have exchanged plans and an attempt is being made to resolve differences. Otherwise, a panel of state appeals court judges will draw the lines.

Under this plan, Dennis would lose heavily Democratic New Madrid County to Howard and would gain Perry and Madison counties from Staples' present district. Perry is a Republican stronghold and Madison County is more of a swing county. Dennis would keep Cape Girardeau, Mississippi, Scott, and Bollinger counties.

Besides gaining New Madrid County, Howard would also add Wayne County from Staples' district. He would continue to have Stoddard, Dunklin, Pemiscot, and Butler counties, but would lose Carter and Ripley counties to the Staples-Lybyer district.

That district would include the two new counties plus Shannon, Reynolds, Iron, St. Francois, and Ste. Genevieve counties from Staples' district, and Texas, Oregon, and Dent counties from Lybyer's present district. During his six-year tenure in the House from 1977-82, Staples represented Ripley and Carter counties.

Mark Pelts of Kennett, a Republican member of the commission, said Wednesday there is just no way all 23 Democratic members of the Senate can be protected because of population shifts outside of Democratic areas and into Republican areas like Southwest Missouri and St. Charles County.

Ultimately, Pelts noted, Democrats on the commission may have to decide whose districts will be consolidated.

Pelts said about 90 percent of the meeting Tuesday was devoted to executive session and caucuses trying to work out suitable boundaries. The one that puts Lybyer and Staples together was printed by the Office of Administration to reflect ideas presented by both parties at a meeting in June.

Putting Lybyer and Staples in the same district would cost Southeast Missouri a seat in the Senate, something Pelts feels is unfortunate. "I'd love to figure out a way to save Lybyer's district," said Pelts, "but Mike is kind of squeezed right in the middle."

Not only does Lybyer's home county border Staples' home county on the east, it also borders Laclede County on the west, which is the home of Sen. John Russell, R-Lebanon.

An ideal sized senatorial district is about 150,000 people and under this plan, Lybyer said he would lose about 100,000 of the citizens he currently represents.

"I'm just waiting to find out what happens," said Lybyer late Tuesday afternoon from his capitol office. "It is too early to say whether I will be with Staples."

He noted that under the Democratic maps, he and Staples are in separate districts. "If you start in St. Louis when drawing the map, you get one plan, and if you start in Kansas City, you get another map," Lybyer explained.

Staples and Lybyer were both elected to the Missouri House in 1976 and shared an office during their first two terms. In 1980, Lybyer left the House and lost a close race for the Democratic nomination for Congress from the old 8th district, which had been represented by Richard Ichord. In 1982, he won a newly created Senate seat, the same year Staples won his Senate seat.

"I like my job, but at the same time I have to look at reality and see what can happen," said Lybyer. "People have been good to me the last three elections. I think when all is said and done, Danny and I will be in different districts."

Staples said all of the senators in southern Missouri - both Democrats and Republicans - had agreed on a map. He claimed the problem stems with difficulties keeping senators happy in St. Louis and Kansas City where there have been population losses.

"In my opinion, it is a ploy by the Republican ranks to gain as many seats as they can in the State Senate," Staples declared.

Staples admitted there isn't much he can do and that the decision ultimately rests with the commission or the courts. "One thing is sure, I'm going to be a candidate regardless of where they put me. If the map I saw yesterday is the map that is Danny Staples' district, then that is where Danny Staples will be running."

Like Lybyer, Staples is not thrilled about the prospects of running against his friend. "I hate it, but I didn't have anything to do with it. If the electorate wants me, I'll serve; if they don't, I'll come home."

Howard needs to add about 10,000 voters to be close enough to the ideal size in his district, while Dennis could keep his present district as is and still be close enough to population guidelines.

Some of the other maps on the table would keep Dennis' district the same and put Wayne County in Howard's district; another plan would put Perry County in Dennis' district and shift Bollinger County to Howard.

Dennis said Tuesday he would prefer to keep the same district, but is not going to get overly involved in the process. "If I can win, I can win in whatever district that is drawn, but I hate to see them make a Republican district out of this," said Dennis.

Howard said he has no idea what will happen, but noted members of the Senate had pretty much agreed on a map that pleased everyone except some of the senators in St. Louis and Kansas City.

"In my view, the most fair way to approach this is to give Sen. Dennis Perry County and me, Bollinger," said Howard. "But John's district doesn't have to be changed and I have to have 10,000 people, so they could give me Wayne or Oregon County."

On June 22, commission members from each party exchanged maps and Democratic party officials complained that the GOP map forced 10 incumbent senators to run against each other and created five open seats.

But Pelts claimed the original Republican map was an effort to keep counties from being split, adjust to population shifts, and meet the constitutional requirements that districts be contiguous.

"The original Democratic map was an incumbent map to make sure every incumbent Democratic senator had his own turf," observed Pelts. "But not every Democratic senator is going to be able to have their own district and have the map drawn correctly. Some guys will be in the same district. Our job is not to go out as a commissioner and protect every incumbent senator; our task is to draw a map that is constitutionally correct."

Despite some of the obvious political problems and challenges in drawing new district lines, Pelts said he believes all members of the commission are committed to completing their task.

"I think all commission members would like to get a map drawn, but it is a very difficult task," Pelts said.

"I think we're making progress, but I don't have anything to compare to. I hope we're making progress."

The commission is planning to meet again July 20-21. Predicted Pelts, "We are either going to see a lot of progress or no progress at all."