KANSAS CITY, Mo. ā Missouriās House of Representatives showed preliminary interest in a new āMissouri Firstā Congressional District map in a vote Monday ahead of Tuesdayās expected final vote. Speakers at South Kansas City Allianceās monthly meeting didnāt share the same enthusiasm.
The map would actually increase the number of Congressional members representing part of Kansas City. But Democrats say Kansas City could lose influence in Washington D.C. as the 5th District now focused on the Kansas City metro would expand east to Mid-Missouri.
Social media claims cost taxpayers $162M, IRS says. See the ātipsā to avoid
āHaving a Congress person, one person, representing our region going to DC and fighting for us, thatās crucial, itās so important,ā Jess Podhola, AFL-CIO Kansas City spokesperson, said.
Sheās also concerned with what a change could mean for local projects and federal funding.
āMoney equals jobs for our members, jobs equals food on the table,ā she said.
The discussion comes midway through the traditional period when maps are usually drawn based on the most recent census each decade.
āIām not so sure that 2020 census clearly reflected the population. So I donāt think itās wrong that weāre taking another look,ā Missouri Attorney General Catherine Hanaway said when asked about redistricting following being sworn-in Monday as Missouriās 45th Attorney General.
So far debate in Jefferson City seems to be following party lines. The measure advanced 89-63 with a handful of Republicans breaking ranks. Denetra Pouncil has a suspicion why.
āRedistricting is just an attempt to rig the November election and to take away our voices and especially voices like mine,ā Pouncil says.
Kansas Cityās Mayor Pro Tem Ryana Parks-Shaw says she isnāt as worried about the balance of power in Washington as the power in Missouri, and a divide between urban and rural.
Clay County deputies warn of VIN swapping on stolen vehicles
āAs a rural person living in a rural community, they donāt have the shared experience we have living in a rural community, public safety, housing homelessness, economic development. There are many things that urban communities deal with that our totally different than a rural community, so thatās why I think this is so important to Kansas City residents,ā Parks-Shaw said.
They encouraged concerned residents to contact state lawmakers and invited them to a rally at the Missouri State Capitol on Wednesday.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
