People Not Politicians Missouri continues to pursue nullification of gerrymandered congressional districts
The group People Not Politicians Missouri said it will keep fighting to reject the new maps because they are a blatant political power grab, even after the Missouri Supreme Court decided not to call the lawmakers’ unprecedented mid-decade redrawing of congressional districts unconstitutional.
Missourians know democracy should focus on the people’s needs, not on politicians’ ambitions. That is why more than 305,000 Missourians, including Republicans, Democrats and Independents, signed a petition demanding their right to vote “no” on gerrymandered maps at the ballot box.
Just yesterday, data from the Missouri Secretary of State showed that a sufficient number of Missourians had signed the referendum to trigger a public vote, which is what must now happen. The legislature has the right to propose and even pass a bad idea, but the people retain the power to reject it.
Richard von Glahn of People Not Politicians Missouri issued the following statement after the ruling in Luther v. Hoskins:
“We obviously disagree with the Supreme Court’s decision, as it was clearly not the intent of the constitution’s framers to allow random redistricting at politicians’ whims.
“The ultimate power lies with the voters of our state, with more than 300,000 having signed a petition to put this issue on the ballot. In spite of the obstruction by state officials, we will continue the fight to let people, not politicians, serve as the final word.”
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