FIRSTREGULARSESSION
HOUSEJOINT
RESOLUTION NO.12
103RDGENERALASSEMBLY
INTRODUCEDBYREPRESENTATIVEMYERS.
0672H.01I DANARADEMANMILLER,ChiefClerk
JOINTRESOLUTION
SubmittingtothequalifiedvotersofMissourianamendmentrepealingSections3and8of
ArticleIIIoftheConstitutionofMissouri,andadoptingthreenewsectionsinlieu
thereofrelatingtothegeneralassembly.
BeitresolvedbytheHouseofRepresentatives,theSenateconcurringtherein:
ThatatthenextgeneralelectiontobeheldinthestateofMissouri,onTuesdaynext
2followingthefirstMondayinNovember,2026,orataspecialelectiontobecalledbythe
3governorforthatpurpose,thereisherebysubmittedtothequalifiedvotersofthisstate,for
4adoptionorrejection,thefollowingamendmenttoArticleIIIoftheConstitutionofthestate
5ofMissouri:
SectionA.Sections3and8,ArticleIII,ConstitutionofMissouri,arerepealedand
2threenewsectionsadoptedinlieuthereof,tobeknownasSections3,8,and54,toreadas
3follows:
Section3.(a)Thehouseofrepresentativesshallconsistofonehundredsixty-three
2memberselectedateachgeneralelectionandredistrictedasprovidedinthissection.
3Beginningwiththe2030decennialcensus,thehouseofrepresentativesshallconsistof
4onehundredthreemembers.
5 (b)Thehouseindependentbipartisancitizenscommissionshallredistrictthehouseof
6representativesusingthefollowingmethods,listedinorderofpriority:
7 (1)Districtsshallbeasnearlyequalaspracticableinpopulation,andshallbedrawn
8onthebasisofoneperson,onevote.Districtsareasnearlyequalaspracticableinpopulation
EXPLANATION—Matterenclosedinbold-facedbrackets[thus] intheabovebillisnotenactedandis
intendedtobeomittedfromthelaw.Matterinbold-facetypeintheabovebillisproposedlanguage. 9ifnodistrictdeviatesbymorethanonepercentfromtheidealpopulationofthedistrict,as
10measuredbydividingthenumberofdistrictsintothestatewidepopulationdatabeingused,
11exceptthatadistrictmaydeviatebyuptothreepercentifnecessarytofollowpolitical
12subdivisionlinesconsistentwithsubdivision(4)ofthissubsection;
13 (2)Districtsshallbeestablishedinamannersoastocomplywithallrequirementsof
14theUnitedStatesConstitutionandapplicablefederallaws,including,butnotlimitedto,the
15VotingRightsActof1965(asamended).Thefollowingprinciplesshalltakeprecedenceover
16anyotherpartofthisconstitution:nodistrictshallbedrawninamannerwhichresultsina
17denialorabridgmentoftherightofanycitizenoftheUnitedStatestovoteonaccountofrace
18orcolor;andnodistrictshallbedrawnsuchthatmembersofanycommunityofcitizens
19protectedbytheprecedingclausehavelessopportunitythanothermembersoftheelectorate
20toparticipateinthepoliticalprocessandtoelectrepresentativesoftheirchoice;
21 (3)Subjecttotherequirementsofsubdivisions(1)and(2)ofthissubsection,districts
22shallbecomposedofcontiguousterritoryascompactasmaybe.Areaswhichmeetonlyat
23thepointsofadjoiningcornersarenotcontiguous.Ingeneral,compactdistrictsarethose
24whicharesquare,rectangular,orhexagonalinshapetotheextentpermittedbynaturalor
25politicalboundaries;
26 (4)Totheextentconsistentwithsubdivisions(1)to(3)ofthissubsection,
27communitiesshallbepreserved.Districtsshallsatisfythisrequirementifdistrictlinesfollow
28politicalsubdivisionlinestotheextentpossible,usingthefollowingcriteria,inorderof
29priority.First,eachcountyshallwhollycontainasmanydistrictsasitspopulationallows.
30Second,ifacountywhollycontainsoneormoredistricts,theremainingpopulationshallbe
31whollyjoinedinasingledistrictmadeupofpopulationfromoutsidethecounty.Ifacounty
32doesnotwhollycontainadistrict,thennomorethantwosegmentsofacountyshallbe
33combinedwithanadjoiningcounty.Third,splitcountiesandcountysegments,definedas
34anypartofthecountythatisinadistrictnotwhollywithinthatcounty,shalleachbeasfewas
35possible.Fourth,asfewmunicipallinesshallbecrossedaspossible;
36 (5)Districtsshallbedrawninamannerthatachievesbothpartisanfairnessand,
37secondarily,competitiveness,butthestandardsestablishedbysubdivisions(1)to(4)ofthis
38subsectionshalltakeprecedenceoverpartisanfairnessandcompetitiveness."Partisan
39fairness"meansthatpartiesshallbeabletotranslatetheirpopularsupportintolegislative
40representationwithapproximatelyequalefficiency."Competitiveness"meansthatparties'
41legislativerepresentationshallbesubstantiallyandsimilarlyresponsivetoshiftsinthe
42electorate'spreferences.
43 Tothisend,theaverageelectoralperformanceofthetwopoliticalpartiesreceivingthe
44mostvotesinthethreeprecedinggeneralelectionsforgovernor,forUnitedStatesSenate,and
45forPresidentoftheUnitedStatesshallbecalculated.Thisindexshallbedefinedasthetotal
HJR12 2 46votesreceivedbyeachpartyinthethreeprecedinggeneralelectionsforgovernor,forUnited
47StatesSenate,andforPresidentoftheUnitedStates,dividedbythetotalvotescastforboth
48partiesintheseelections.Usingthisindex,thetotalnumberofwastedvotesforeachparty,
49summingacrossallofthedistrictsintheplanshallbecalculated."Wastedvotes"arevotes
50castforalosingcandidateorforawinningcandidateinexcessofthethresholdneededfor
51victory.Inanyredistrictingplanandmapoftheproposeddistricts,thedifferencebetweenthe
52twoparties'totalwastedvotes,dividedbythetotalvotescastforthetwoparties,shallnot
53exceedfifteenpercent.
54 Topromotecompetitiveness,theelectoralperformanceindexshallbeusedtosimulate
55electionsinwhichthehypotheticalstatewidevoteshiftsbyonepercent,twopercent,three
56percent,fourpercent,andfivepercentinfavorofeachparty.Thevoteineachindividual
57districtshallbeassumedtoshiftbythesameamountasthestatewidevote.Ineachofthese
58simulatedelections,thedifferencebetweenthetwoparties'totalwastedvotes,dividedbythe
59totalvotescastforthetwoparties,shallnotexceedfifteenpercent.
60 (c)WithinsixtydaysafterthepopulationofthisstateisreportedtothePresidentfor
61eachdecennialcensusoftheUnitedStatesor,intheeventthataredistrictingplanhasbeen
62invalidatedbyacourtofcompetentjurisdiction,withinsixtydaysthatsucharulinghasbeen
63made,thestatecommitteeandthecongressionaldistrictcommitteesofeachofthetwo
64politicalpartiescastingthehighestvoteforgovernoratthelastprecedinggeneralelection
65shallmeetandthemembersofeachcommitteeshallnominate,byamajorityvoteofthe
66electedmembersofthecommitteepresent,providedthatamajorityoftheelectedmembersis
67present,membersoftheirparty,residentsinthatdistrict,inthecaseofacongressionaldistrict
68committee,asnomineesforthehouseindependentbipartisancitizenscommission.Noparty
69shallselectmorethanonenomineefromanyonestatelegislativedistrict.Thecongressional
70districtcommitteesshalleachsubmittothegovernortheirlistoftwoelectednominees.The
71statecommitteesshalleachsubmittothegovernortheirlistoffiveelectednominees.Within
72thirtydaysthereafter,thegovernorshallappointahouseindependentbipartisancitizens
73commissionconsistingofonenomineefromeachlistsubmittedbyeachcongressionaldistrict
74committeeandtwonomineesfromeachlistsubmittedbyeachstatecommitteetoredistrict
75thestateintoonehundredandsixty-threerepresentativedistrictsandtoestablishthenumbers
76andboundariesofsaiddistricts.Nopersonshallbeappointedtoboththehouseindependent
77bipartisancitizenscommissionandthesenateindependentbipartisancitizenscommission
78duringthesameredistrictingcycle.
79 Ifanycommitteefailstosubmitalistwithinsuchtime,thegovernorshallappointa
80memberofhisorherownchoicefromthepoliticalpartyofthecommitteefailingtosubmita
81list,providedthatinthecaseofacongressionaldistrictcommitteefailingtosubmitalist,the
HJR12 3 82personappointedtothecommissionbythegovernorshallresideinthecongressionaldistrict
83ofsuchcommittee.
84 Membersofthecommissionshallbedisqualifiedfromholdingofficeasmembersof
85thegeneralassemblyforfouryearsfollowingthedateofthefilingbythecommissionofits
86finalredistrictingplan.
87 ForthepurposesofthisArticle,thetermcongressionaldistrictcommitteeor
88congressionaldistrictreferstothecongressionaldistrictcommitteeorthecongressional
89districtfromwhichacongressmanwaslastelected,or,intheeventmembersofcongress
90fromthisstatehavebeenelectedatlarge,thetermcongressionaldistrictcommitteerefersto
91thosepersonswholastservedasthecongressionaldistrictcommitteeforthosedistrictsfrom
92whichcongressmenwerelastelected,andthetermcongressionaldistrictreferstothose
93districtsfromwhichcongressmenwerelastelected.Anyactionpursuanttothissectionby
94thecongressionaldistrictcommitteeshalltakeplaceonlyatdulycalledmeetings,shallbe
95recordedintheirofficialminutesandonlymemberspresentinpersonshallbepermittedto
96vote.
97 (d)Thecommissionerssoselectedshall,onthefifteenthday,excludingSundaysand
98stateholidays,afterallmembershavebeenappointed,meetinthecapitolbuildingand
99proceedtoorganizebyelectingfromtheirnumberachairman,vicechairmanandsecretary.
100Thecommissionshalladoptanagendaestablishingatleastthreehearingdatesonwhich
101hearingsopentothepublicshallbeheldtohearobjectionsortestimonyfrominterested
102persons.Acopyoftheagendashallbefiledwiththeclerkofthehouseofrepresentatives
103withintwenty-fourhoursafteritsadoption.Executivemeetingsmaybescheduledandheld
104asoftenasthecommissiondeemsadvisable.
105 (e)Notlaterthanfivemonthsaftertheappointmentofthecommission,the
106commissionshallfilewiththesecretaryofstateatentativeredistrictingplanandmapofthe
107proposeddistrictsandduringtheensuingfifteendaysshallholdsuchpublichearingsasmay
108benecessarytohearobjectionsortestimonyofinterestedpersons.Thecommissionshall
109makepublicthetentativeredistrictingplanandmapoftheproposeddistricts,aswellasall
110demographicandpartisandatausedinthecreationoftheplanandmap.
111 (f)Notlaterthansixmonthsaftertheappointmentofthecommission,the
112commissionshallfilewiththesecretaryofstateafinalstatementofthenumbersandthe
113boundariesofthedistrictstogetherwithamapofthedistricts,andnostatementshallbevalid
114unlessapprovedbyatleastseven-tenthsofthemembers.
115 (g)Afterthefinalstatementisfiled,membersofthehouseofrepresentativesshallbe
116electedaccordingtosuchdistrictsuntilanewredistrictingplanismadeasprovidedinthis
117section,exceptthatifthefinalstatementisnotfiledwithinsixmonthsofthetimefixedfor
118theappointmentofthecommission,thecommissionshallstanddischargedandthehouseof
HJR12 4 119representativesshallberedistrictedusingthesamemethodsandcriteriaasdescribedin
120subsection(b)ofthissectionbyacommissionofsixmembersappointedfromamongthe
121judgesoftheappellatecourtsofthestateofMissouribythestatesupremecourt,amajorityof
122whomshallsignandfileitsredistrictingplanandmapwiththesecretaryofstatewithin
123ninetydaysofthedateofthedischargeofthehouseindependentbipartisancitizens
124commission.Thejudicialcommissionshallmakepublicthetentativeredistrictingplanand
125mapoftheproposeddistricts,aswellasalldemographicandpartisandatausedinthe
126creationoftheplanandmap.Thereafter,membersofthehouseofrepresentativesshallbe
127electedaccordingtosuchdistrictsuntilaredistrictingplanismadeasprovidedinthissection.
128 (h)Eachmemberofthecommissionshallreceiveascompensationfifteendollarsa
129dayforeachdaythecommissionisinsessionbutnotmorethanonethousanddollars,and,in
130addition,shallbereimbursedforhisorheractualandnecessaryexpensesincurredwhile
131servingasamemberofthecommission.
132 (i)Noredistrictingplanshallbesubjecttothereferendum.
133 (j)Anyactionexpresslyorimplicitlyallegingthataredistrictingplanviolatesthis
134Constitution,federallaw,ortheUnitedStatesConstitutionshallbefiledinthecircuitcourtof
135ColeCountyandshallnamethebodythatapprovedthechallengedredistrictingplanasa
136defendant.OnlyaneligibleMissourivoterwhosustainsanindividualinjurybyvirtueof
137residinginadistrictthatexhibitstheallegedviolation,andwhoseinjuryisremediedbya
138differentlydrawndistrict,shallhavestanding.Ifthecourtrendersajudgmentinwhichit
139findsthatacompletedredistrictingplanexhibitstheallegedviolation,itsjudgmentshall
140adjustonlythosedistricts,andonlythosepartsofdistrictboundaries,necessarytobringthe
141mapintocompliance.Thesupremecourtshallhaveexclusiveappellatejurisdictionuponthe
142filingofanoticeofappealwithintendaysafterthejudgmenthasbecomefinal.
Section8.Nooneshallbeelectedtoservemorethaneightyearstotalinanyone
2houseoftheGeneralAssemblynormorethansixteenyearstotalinbothhousesofthe
3GeneralAssembly.Inapplyingthissection,serviceintheGeneralAssemblyresultingfrom
4anelectionpriortoDecember3,1992,orserviceoflessthanoneyear,inthecaseofa
5memberofthehouseofrepresentatives,ortwoyears,inthecaseofamemberofthesenate,
6byapersonelectedaftertheeffectivedateofthissectiontocompletethetermofanother
7person,shallnotbecounted.BeginningJanuary1,2032,nooneshallbeelectedtoserve
8morethansixteenyearstotalinbothhousesoftheGeneralAssembly.
Section54.BeginningJanuary1,2032,nomemberofthehouseof
2representativesshallserveasthespeakerorspeakerprotemporeofthehouseof
3representativesformorethanthreeconsecutivetermsandnomemberofthesenate
HJR12 5 4shallserveasthepresidentprotemporeofthesenateformorethantwoconsecutive
5terms.
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