Judge Makes Critical Ruling As Redistricting Battle In Red State Intensifies

A Missouri court has ruled that Gov. Mike Kehoe had the constitutional authority to convene a special session that resulted in the passage of a new congressional map.

During the special...

ssion, state lawmakers redrew Missouri’s congressional districts that will likely give Republicans one additional House seat.

Republicans currently have a 6-2 advantage in the Show-Me State’s congressional delegation.

The new congressional map is expected to give Republicans a 7-1 edge.

Special session to redraw Missouri congressional districts was constitutional, judge rules https://t.co/zMxltSbn9C

— St. Louis Post-Dispatch (@stltoday) February 17, 2026

KOMU 8 has more:

The Missouri NAACP filed the lawsuit against state officials including Gov. Mike Kehoe in September 2025 in an attempt to stop the special session from happening, but the court did not take up the case in time to stop legislators from meeting for the session.

The lawsuit alleged that while the Missouri Constitution allows the governor to call special sessions for extraordinary occasions, Kehoe’s reasoning to call the most recent session did not qualify as an extraordinary occasion.

Judge Christopher Limbaugh disagreed, stating in the ruling issued Friday, that the governor has the constitutional discretion to decide what qualifies as an extraordinary occasion.

Article 4, Section 9 of the Missouri Constitution, which describes the powers of the governor, states that on extraordinary occasions, the governor may convene the General Assembly by proclamation and state matters for the legislature to take action on.

Kehoe called Missouri lawmakers to a special session on Aug. 29, 2025, directing them to focus the session on redistricting the state and changing the initiative petition process.

The lawsuit filed by the Missouri NAACP is one of numerous legal battles in the state regarding redistricting.

Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas is scheduled to testify this week over a lawsuit alleging the new congressional map violates the Missouri Constitution.

The Kansas City Star explained:

Lucas, who has opposed the map since lawmakers approved it last fall, will likely testify on Wednesday, according to a copy of the mayor’s calendar. In a statement to The Star, the mayor’s spokesperson said he will address the map’s impact on Kansas City voters.

“Kansas City stands to lose critical representation in Washington due to redistricting efforts that dilute our city’s voice and political power,” said spokesperson Megan Strickland. “Mayor Lucas will address concerns about how these changes threaten Kansas City residents’ ability to elect representatives who understand and advocate for our community.”

This week’s trial is part of an onslaught of legal battles that could have seismic ramifications for Kansas City’s congressional representation. It centers on a lawsuit alleging that Missouri’s new map, which carves Democratic-leaning Kansas City into three GOP-friendly districts, violates the Missouri Constitution on several fronts.

The suit was filed by the ACLU of Missouri and the Campaign Legal Center on behalf of four Jackson County voters who were sliced out of Kansas City’s 5th Congressional District. The lawsuit also alleges the map includes a crucial error that puts the same voters in two different districts.

Source link