JEFFERSON CITY — Today, a Cole County Court ruled on the Missouri redistricting ballot summary case involving the referendum language that will appear on the November ballot challenging the State’s new congressional map. The case—filed by People Not Politicians—challenged the fairness and legality of the ballot summary drafted by Secretary of State Denny Hoskins, who previously admitted that some of the language was “likely to create prejudice” against a referendum on the map.
The new ballot summary, crafted by Cole County Judge Stumpe is a clear defeat for politicians seeking to deceive voters about their power grab. It also foreshadows another likely legal defeat for the state in an ongoing legal dispute on whether HB1 passed during the 2025 special session and suspended by the submission of over 305,000 signatures, can go into effect before a public vote.
“Today’s ruling definitively states that HB1 is not in effect,” said Richard von Glahn, Executive Director of People Not Politicians Missouri.
While the ballot summary case does not officially determine the suspension of HB1, ballot language that declares that a yes vote on the referendum would “repeal Missouri’s congressional plan, and replace it with new congressional boundaries” does logically require that the current plan must be different from the map that would be enacted if voters vote yes. Judge Stumpe is alsothe judge in the case considering the question as to what congressional plan is currently in effect in Maggard v State of Missouri.