Missouri Supreme Court Upholds Kehoe’s Power and Keeps 2025 Congressional Map in Place

Overview

• On Wednesday, May 27, the Missouri Supreme Court issued a unanimous nine‑page ruling that Gov. Mike Kehoe had the constitutional authority to call the September 2025 special legislative session.
• The court held that Article IV, Section 9 gives the governor discretion to decide when an extraordinary occasion exists and rejected the NAACP’s claim that the law limits that power to emergencies.
• Justices also ruled that the mere filing of a referendum petition on December 9 does not automatically suspend the redistricting law, so the 2025 congressional map will be used for the August primary and the November general election for now.
• Secretary of State Denny Hoskins must verify the petition signatures by the August 4 primary to determine whether the referendum is legally sufficient, and activists have filed requests to speed that review.
• The ruling clears short‑term legal obstacles to a map that splits parts of Kansas City and adds voters from counties along the Missouri River, a change political observers say targets Democratic Rep. Emanuel Cleaver’s 5th District and could alter competitive races.