The two Democratic congressmen representing the St. Louis region released a joint statement yesterday criticizing a redistricting map proposed this week by Republican legislators in Jefferson City.
The new map would effectively eliminate Congressman Russ Carnahan's 3rd Congressional District, which currently extends from south St. Louis to Ste. Genevieve. Congressman William Lacy Clay's 1st District, meanwhile, would expand to cover all of the city of St. Louis. Missouri has to lose one of its nine congressional districts by 2013 as a result of the 2010 Census.
In their statement yesterday, Carnahan and Clay called the proposed redistricting "overly partisan" and "damaging to the St. Louis region."
"The population of the St. Louis metropolitan area clearly justifies three congressional districts," the congressmen stated. "We are surprised that the committee chose to weaken representation for our region, which is the economic engine that drives Missouri's economy."
© 2023 Riverfront Times
