The Missouri Supreme Court upheld a new Republican-friendly congressional map in a series of rulings Tuesday, dealing yet another blow to Democrats in the national redistricting fight.
The court’s unanimous ruling allows the implementation of a map that divides Kansas City into three congressional districts — and likely cuts down Democratic representation to just one of the state’s eight seats. The court also rejected an attempt to block the map’s usage through a December petition that would have put the issue up for a ballot referendum vote.
Tuesday’s decisions highlight the role state supreme courts will play in the wider redistricting landscape following the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision striking down a key provision in the Voting Rights Act. Missouri’s court is nonpartisan, though five of its seven justices were appointed by Republican governors. And last week, the Virginia Supreme Court — which also leans conservative — overturned a voter-approved map that could have given Democrats an additional four U.S. House seats.