Missouri House Bill HB1840

Missouri 2022 Regular Session

• Introduced: 1/5/22
• Refer: 5/13/22

Caption

Requires the house and senate independent bipartisan citizens commission to use last known permanent place of residence for counting college students and inmates when reapportioning state house and senate districts

Impact

The introduction of HB1840 seeks to impact the demographic representation of districts within the state legislature by addressing how specific populations are counted. For college students, this could mean that districts with large universities may see a shift in how legislative representation is allocated, potentially amplifying the voice of such constituencies. Similarly, inmates' counts being based on their known residencies rather than their incarceration facilities may impact district demographics in various communities across Missouri, potentially affecting political representation.

Summary

House Bill 1840 requires the house and senate independent bipartisan citizens commissions to consider the last known permanent place of residence for college students and inmates when reapportioning legislative districts following each decennial census. This amendment to chapter 115 of the Revised Statutes of Missouri aims to ensure that the population counts used for the purposes of legislative districting are reflective of where individuals are primarily based, rather than their temporary locations. This is particularly relevant for college students who may be residing in a different area during their studies and for inmates who may not be counted in their home districts while incarcerated.

Contention

Notably, there may be points of contention surrounding HB1840 concerning the political implications of these changes. Critics may argue that counting residents based on their last known domicile could result in district populations that do not accurately represent the current activities and needs of those individuals. Supporters, on the other hand, may view the bill as a necessary step towards a fairer and more equitable representation that acknowledges major student populations and residential statistics correctly. The tension between maintaining accurate representation while considering the complexities of residency for transient individuals is likely to be at the heart of discussions surrounding this legislation.