Ahead of the labor day weekend, Missouri Governor Mike Kehoe announces he is calling a special session to redistrict Missouri mid-decade and reform initative petition, making it more difficult for voters to ammend the state constitution.
The new map proposed by Kehoe creates a 7-1 republican majority and would effectively eliminate Kansas City Congressman Emmanuel Cleaver.
Missouri Governor Mike Kehoe said "this is about clarity for voters and ownership of our future."
Cleaver in a press release called this map an attempt to gerrymander Missouri, saying "This seat does not belong to me. It bleongs to the people. And today, that truth is under assault."
In an attempt to promote the map, Kehoe says it splits fewer counties and municipalities than the current map, preserves two of Missouri's eight districts as currently drawn and retains every current member of Missouri's congressional delegation in their current district.
Kehoe's decision to call for a special session ahead of the midterms comes after mounting pressure from President Donald Trump.
Most recently, President Trump appeared to jump the gun last week, postin on his social media website Truth Social Missouri was "IN," inferring the state had decided to redistrict. Governor Kehoe told KMOX he had made no committment to the President to redraw the maps.
Kehoe is also calling for changes to initiative petition in the special session.
Kehoe says the legislature should require ballot measures not only require a majority of statewide voters approve the mesaure but also by a majority of voters in each congressional district.
Banning foreign nationals from contributing to committees for or against statewide ballot measures and establishing a criminal election offense for fradulently signing or gathering signatures are also among his recomendation.
Kehoe says Missouri's constutution "has been the victim of out-of-state special interests who deceive voters."
The special session will begin Wednesday at noon.