Missouri Supreme Court to rule on redistricting referendum power

The Missouri Supreme Court is set to hear a case regarding the extent of citizens’ power to force a referendum on congressional redistricting. The ruling will address a constitutional question that the court has not previously answered directly.

Legal experts suggest that if the court follows historical precedents or interprets the constitution's referendum provisions in context, it may find that the power of the people applies to redistricting. This follows a lower court ruling in Cole County that prevented the referendum from appearing on the November 3 ballot, a decision based on a method of constitutional interpretation known as structuralism.