SPONSOR: Trent
REDISTRICTING
Upon voter approval, this proposed Constitutional amendment modifies laws pertaining to redistricting. In its main provisions, the resolution:
(1) Repeals provisions relating to the use of a nonpartisan state demographer to draw redistricting maps using mathematical formulas based on partisan fairness and competitiveness;
(2) Creates separate House and Senate independent bipartisan citizens commissions to draw redistricting maps beginning 60 days after the annual census report;
(3) Establishes redistricting criteria;
(4) Specifies a procedure for gubernatorial appointment of six member House and Senate bipartisan redistricting committees;
(5) Requires the bipartisan committees to meet within 15 days, excluding Sundays and state holidays, of appointment to select officers, adopt an agenda, and file a tentative plan of apportionment and map with the Secretary of State within five months after appointment. Public hearings will be held after filing and a final map will be filed within six months of appointment which must be approved by seven-tenths of the commission members;
(6) Specifies that a panel of appellate judges will create a redistricting map if a bipartisan commission fails to agree by the requisite seven-tenths vote. Deadlines and requirements for the map are further specified in the resolution; and
(7) Requires the bipartisan commissions to establish a "Redistricting Public Comment Portal", to accept comments, maps, or other communications from the general public or interested parties. Submissions to the portal must disclose whether the entity making the submission was responsible for its content and whether or not the submission was funded by contributors. If a submission was funded, then the identity of the contributors shall be disclosed.
VOTING RIGHTS
Upon voter approval, this Constitutional amendment specifies that only citizens of the United States who are over the age of 18 and residents of Missouri may vote.
This bill is similar to HJR 75 and HJR 76 (2020).