Clay not concerned by possible rival

ST. LOUIS, MO (ST. LOUIS PUBLIC RADIO) - Democratic Congressman William Lacy Clay says he’s unconcerned about a possible primary challenge in 2012.

New Congressional maps approved earlier this month over Governor Jay Nixon’s veto put Clay and fellow Democrat Russ Carnahan in the same district.

Carnahan appears to be leaning toward running in the new Second District, but has not ruled out a primary challenge to Clay.

Clay says primaries are part of the political process.

“I’ve run six times and I’ve been primaried six times. I put my record up against whomever. And that’s for the people, because they ultimately make the decision,” Clay said.

He says he’s focused more on introducing himself to new constituents in south St. Louis city.

Rachel Lippmann, St. Louis Public Radio

Read More

Carnahan has no plans

ST. LOUIS, MO (ST. LOUIS PUBLIC RADIO) - U-S Congressman Russ Carnahan says he still has not decided what political office he'll pursue next year.

The St. Louis Democrat's 3rd congressional district will be eliminated based on redistricting maps approved by Missouri lawmakers. Today/Wednesday, Carnahan was asked by reporters if 2nd District congressman Todd Akin's announcement this week that he'll run for the Senate makes his decision easier….

"There is an open 2nd congressional seat that has a large number of my current constituents in it, so we're obviously taking a serious look at that, Carnahan said. "And I know there are other folks that are also taking a serious look at having the court review the maps that have been passed by the legislature."

The second-highest ranking Democrat in the House, Congressman Steny Hoyer of Maryland, was in St. Louis Wednesday to help raise money for Carnahan's reelection campaign.

Bill Raack, St. Louis Public Radio

Read More

JEFFERSON CITY, MO (MISSOURI DIGITAL NEWS) - A new Missouri congressional map goes to the governor's desk after it was passed in the House and Senate Wednesday.

The new map would eliminate St. Louis Democratic Representative Russ Carnahan's district.

St. Louis Democratic Senator Robin Wright-Jones refused to sign off on the new map because it only leaves Democrats with two districts.

"I believe that Missouri has been a 50/50 state in its voting patterns and a 6-2 just was not reflective of our real mindset," Wright-Jones said.

Republican Speaker of the House Steven Tilley says the map has enough republican support to override a veto from the governor.

Danielle McCarthy, Missouri Digital News

Read More

GOP supermajority splinters in Mo. Senate

JEFFERSON CITY, MO (MISSOURI DIGITAL NEWS) - The top Democrat in Missouri's House says the standoff within the Republican supermajority is slowing down important legislation.

Mike Talboy watched as Missouri's legislature fractured.

The House's Republican leaders decided not to have floor debate on Monday, saying there's nothing to do.

Talboy says he's never seen that before.

"It's disappointing that we get to some sort of standoff where we decide that we're going to adjourn early. It is what it is at this point," Talboy said.

In what House Republicans portrayed as a snub, they say their counterparts in the Senate refused to work out differences over redrawing district lines.

Because of that, House Republican leader Tim Jones says there's nothing for the House to do on Monday.

"If the Senate had responded to our request on the redistricting map, we would very likely have had something to do," Jones said.

Both chambers have confined St. Louis City to a single district, eliminating Russ Carnahan's seat. Regardless, rural Senate Republicans are complaining about the way the redistricting lines are drawn.

Senate Republicans have also stalled a measure to give tax breaks to businesses who create jobs.

The same with allowing Ameren Missouri to charge ratepayers to build a second nuclear power plant...

...Spending nearly $190 million in federal funds for education...

...And accepting a quarter-billion dollars in stimulus money.

Lawmakers have less than a month, until May 13, to pass these measures.

Two high-profile bills, extending unemployment benefits and rolling back dog breeding restrictions, have already passed.

Theo Keith, Missouri Digital News

Read More

Redistricting plan would split Jefferson County between 3 Congresspeople

JEFFERSON CITY, MO (MISSOURI DIGITAL NEWS) - As part of the House's redistricting proposal, Missourians in Jefferson County would be represented by three different members of Congress.

The Senate has failed to vote on the House's redistricting plan because of opposition by several Missouri Senators.

Most opposing Senators say the Republican Senate's plan is a better alternative than the Republican House's. But Democratic Jefferson County Senator Ryan McKenna says he opposes both plans.

"For my county to be the only county in the State now to have three congressmen and women is a hard pill for me to swallow," McKenna said.

Republican Senator Bill Stouffer says this is one time politics should be put aside.

"This map doesn't have a chance to go through this body," Stouffer said.

Senators must come to a decision by the end of the day Monday for the Governor to have to act on the plan before they adjourn for the year.

Andrew Weil, Missouri Digital News

Read More

Redistricting map passes Senate committee

JEFFERSON CITY, MO (MISSOURI DIGITAL NEWS) - The conflict between urban and rural interests took center stage in the re-districting debate.

The Senate redistricting committee passed the House-proposed map by a vote of 4-3.

Citizens and Senators voiced their concerns over the new map.

Senator Robin Wright-Jones voted against the map. She says Blacks outside of St. Louis and Kansas City would lose their voice in Congress.

“I see that the two Democratic districts are both basically skewed to the eastern or western sides of the state,” Wright-Jones said.

Others say the map would combine too many urban and rural areas. Lafayette county resident Kay Hoflander says the map will dilute the interests of her rural county.

Under the proposed map Lafayette and two other rural counties will be included in a congressional district with urban Kansas City.

But Senate Committee Chair Scott Rupp says it will be difficult to make everyone happy with the map.

“When you have to find the population you're gonna have to share some of the urban and suburban areas where the people are,” Rupp said.

The Committee Chair says the close vote out of his committee means the bill could meet hard opposition on the Senate floor.

Megan McGinnis, Missouri Digital News

Read More

Missouri House recommends axing Carnahan's district

JEFFERSON CITY, MO (MISSOURI DIGITAL NEWS) - The Missouri House Redistricting Committee passed a map that would eliminate Democrat Russ Carnahan's congressional seat in St. Louis.

Republican committee chairman John Diehl proposed the map that looks very similar to the one passed in the Senate on Monday.

"Everybody's criticizing it, but nobody can show you anything better. So it's probably a pretty good map," Diehl said. "And I think the fact that the Senate and the Democrats came up with a map that's only about two percent different than this one ... I think tells you we are probably pretty close to the right answer."

Democratic Representatives Penny Hubbard and Jamilah Nasheed from St. Louis both served on the committee and voted for the new map.

Even though St. Louis lost a district, Nasheed says it will strengthen the city.

"It should be one, because the city of St. Louis is polarized right now. I think now is the time to be able to do away with the polarization in the city of St. Louis and I think this will help," Nasheed said

The only "no" vote came from Crystal City Democrat Ron Casey, who's from the congressional district that's going away.

Diehl's map will now go to the House floor.

Brian Bondus, Missouri Digital News

Read More

Senate redistricting plan would dissolve Carnahan's seat

JEFFERSON CITY, MO (MISSOURI DIGITAL NEWS) - A Senate Committee unanimously passed a redistricting plan Monday as Missouri anticipates the loss of one Congressional seat.

Under the new plan, all of Missouri's districts will grow in population.

The committee's chair Senator Scott Rupp says the loss of a congressional seat will cause some districts to grow more than others.

"Every single district had to gain population due to the loss of the congressional seat. Now, some districts had to gain far more population. For example, the city of St. Louis in the first district had to gain a hundred and sixty one thousand people," Rupp said.

The House has also proposed a plan that would account for the lost seat, following the 2010 census. Both the House and Senate plans would combine the two districts in St. Louis City into one, a seat that is currently held by Democrat Russ Carnahan.

The Senate committee's plan will now be brought before the Senate.

Kadee Brosseau, Missouri Digital News

Read More

Redistricting does not favor Russ Carnahan

Image courtesy of Missouri Secretary of State.

CAPE GIRARDEAU, MO (KRCU) - Due to a slower rate of population growth than other states, Missouri will lose one of its nine Congressional seats. All indications point to the elimination of the 3rd Congressional District, currently held by Democrat Russ Carnahan.

The 3rd District covers southern St. Louis, parts of southern St. Louis county, and Jefferson and Ste. Genevieve Counties.

The Republican-controlled General Assembly will redraw the Congressional districts, and it is highly unlikely that the GOP will exclude one of their own party members, according to Southeast Missouri State University political science professor Jeremy Walling.

Carnahan is one of three Democratic Missouri Congressmen. The other two are Emanuel Cleaver from Kansas City in the 5th District and Lacy Clay from St. Louis in the 1st District. Eliminating Carnahan’s seat would results in clearly drawn partisan lines amongst Missouri’s districts, Walling says.

"The Republicans aren’t going to be too sad about ensuring that the Missouri 1st and 5th Districts stay Democrat because they are going to be Democrat anyway," Walling said. "So I can see them wanting to split up the Russ Carnahan district and divvy those votes up and make the Missouri 1st an even stronger Democrat district in the process."

The result would be eight congressional districts with well-entrenched incumbents. The only exception would be freshman representative Vicky Hartzler’s seat in western Missouri, which Walling says may come in to play.

Jacob McCleland, KRCU

Read More