Legal battle continues over Missouri's new congressional maps, referendum process
Source: KMBC-TV Kansas City, MO
Updated: 4:57 PM CST Dec 23, 2025
A new lawsuit filed by the ACLU of Missouri is asking a court to halt the use of new congressional maps until voters can weigh in. The ACLU filed the lawsuit in Cole County Circuit Court on Tuesday, claiming that the state of Missouri and the secretary of state have violated the right to referendum by pushing Missouri's new congressional maps forward without input from voters.
"By attempting to enact the new maps despite receiving more than 305,000 signatures from Missouri voters demanding a referendum, the Secretary of State is denying a longstanding tradition, judicial precedent, and our constitutional rights," said Tori Shafer, director of policy and campaigns at the ACLU of Missouri, in a news release.
The ACLU said that the signatures, submitted by the organization People Not Politicians, are nearly three times the number required. "Ignoring the legislative power granted to the people, the Secretary of State publicly indicated that his office intends to use House Bill 1's new congressional map in the 2026 primary and general elections," the ACLU said.
The ACLU is asking the court to suspend House Bill 1 to prevent election authorities from using the new maps until they are approved or rejected by voters.
Read more: https://www.kmbc.com/article/missouri-congressional-maps-referendum-lawsuit-voters/69851845
Link to SUIT (PDF) - https://abc17news.b-cdn.net/abc17news.com/2025/12/ACLU-Petition-for-Declaratory-Judgment.pdf