Overview
- The Missouri Supreme Court unanimously ruled the citizen referendum petition was legal, sufficient, and timely and that the 2025 Republican map never took effect unless voters approve it.
- The ruling enjoins use of the GOP‑drawn map for the November midterms and restores the 2022 6‑2 congressional map even though the new map was used in August primaries.
- The court faulted Secretary of State Denny Hoskins for delaying certification of the petition until primary day, saying that delay created much of the election‑administration difficulty now cited by state officials.
- Republican Attorney General Catherine Hanaway filed an emergency appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court, arguing the order will disrupt ballot printing and the federal timelines for mailing overseas and military ballots.
- The dispute is part of a nationwide, Trump‑backed mid‑decade redistricting push aimed at gaining an extra House seat and directly affects the Kansas City‑area seat held by Rep. Emanuel Cleaver while setting a possible legal precedent for referendums on congressional maps.