Where Am I? Lawmakers React To Redrawn Districts

The judicial panel charged with redrawing state legislative boundaries finished its work Wednesday, leaving lawmakers, campaign strategists and voters to look at the new setup and how it impacts them.

The maps, which area available on the state Office of Administration website, were drawn by a six-member panel of Court of Appeals judges. The state Supreme Court picked the judges to draw the maps after the governor appointed bipartisan commissions failed to reach an agreement.

The shift is the result of redistricting that happens every 10 years in conjunction with the U.S. Census, a news release from Missouri's Appellate Apportionment Commission states. New maps for both the state Senate and House of Representatives have been submitted to the secretary of state by the commission. Unless they are challenged in court, the maps will take effect in time for the 2012 election cycle.

"We have worked collaboratively to draw maps that comply with the constitution, the Voting Rights Act, and other legal requirements," Commission Chair Lisa White Hardwick stated in a media release.

GENERAL ASSEMBLY

The new House of Representatives Apportionment Committee map places the into what appears to be two different districts. What was once the 78th district  is no more, with that district now comprising parts of St. Louis City. Hazelwood now appears to be on the line of the 69th and 70th districts. Between the two, this consists of the cities of Maryland Heights, Earth City, Bridgeton and the edge of Florissant.  

STATE SENATE

Hazelwood will become part of the 13th State Senate district, where it is now currently part of District 7, which is something of a surprise. A final draft from a panel which had previously attempted to draw lines in April of this year had Hazelwood remaining in District 7.

According to the St. Louis Beacon, District 7 State Senator Jane Cunningham (R-Chesterfield), plans to run for re-election in 2012 in the newly drawn 27th District, which will now stretch from part of Chesterfield due south to Dittmer and into Arnold near the Highway 141 corridor.

Hazelwood will now be pooled with Florissant, Black Jack, Spanish Lake, Earth City, Castle Point, Moline Acres, Bellefontaine Neighbors, Glasgow Village, and Riverview, as well as border the line with Bridgeton.

Lawmakers were scrambling Wednesday to figure out what it all means.

"What I don't know is if I live in the district," said State Senator John Lamping (R-Ladue). He added he was "very disappointed" that the St. Louis region appeared to be losing one state senate voice in the process.

State Rep. Jill Schupp (D-Creve Coeur) wrote in an email to Patch that St. Louis was the "economic engine" of the state and needed to be well-represented in the legislature.

"Re-districting is the time when we all wonder whether there was more that could have been done to make sure everyone was counted in the census process. These procedures matter!," she said.