Legislature overrides veto of redistricting map..Carnahan will lose district seat

[SoCalDem]

http://www.stltoday.com/news/local/metro/article_6995ad6c-813a-5d55-b094-eed9ef306c8e.html

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Legislature overrides Nixon veto of redistricting map

Four Democrats join Missouri House majority in rejection of Nixon veto; Russ Carnahan will lose his district.



Legislature overrides Nixon veto of redistricting map

By REBECCA BERG [email protected] > 573-635-61787 STLtoday.com | Posted: Thursday, May 5, 2011 12:45 am | (3) Comments



Missouri House proposed redistricting map


JEFFERSON CITY • The state's Republican-led Legislature voted Wednesday to stand by its proposed redistricting map, overriding a veto by Gov. Jay Nixon, a Democrat. After days that saw Republicans and Democrats gaming for votes as members of Congress fought to keep their seats, the House voted 109-44 to stick with the Legislature's version of the map. The Senate followed suit, 28-6.

It fell to the Legislature to trim the congressional districts from nine to eight after census numbers showed earlier this year that Missouri is growing at a slower pace than other states. The override, the first since 2003, came just days after Nixon surprised members of both parties with an unusual Saturday veto of the redistricting map. That timing left Republicans with ample opportunity to reject the veto before the end of the legislative session next week.

Rep. John Diehl, R-Town and Country, the House redistricting chair, called the override "a historic vote," and House Speaker Steve Tilley, R-Perryville, said he was "thrilled with the result."

The final map will eliminate the district of U.S. Rep. Russ Carnahan, D-St. Louis, by combining it with one currently held by U.S. Rep. William Lacy Clay, another Democrat. That makes it likely that the state will be represented by six Republican members of Congress and two Democrats. Following the vote, Carnahan's office expressed disappointment in the outcome, calling it "a bad day for the people of Missouri."

snip

[Paradoxical]

1. I am so tired of partisan nonsense.

[pintobean]

2. Sorry fellow Democrat, it's under the bus with you

"Meanwhile, members of the Missouri congressional delegation who would keep their districts under the Legislature's map jockeyed for an override, including two Democratic members of Congress: U.S. Reps. Clay and Emanuel Cleaver of Kansas City."

[pstokely]

4. Their seats are now safer than ever, that's why they wanted the overide

nt

[pintobean]

5. Yup

Poor Russ's just too white.

[pstokely]

6. I think Nixon wanted to keep Carnahan's seat instead of Clay's

nt

[slackmaster]

3. Missouri's districts look so regular and normal compared to my state's

Behold the result of decades of gerrymandering to produce "safe" Democratic districts, with the unintended consequence of creating "safe" Republican districts. Incumbents almost always win.