Stouffer: Population Changes Mean New Congressional Districts

The 2010 Census figures are officially in. Results from the census show where folks in the state are moving.

For state lawmakers, it is time to start redrawing congressional districts. As you may know, because of the population shift over the past 10 years, Missouri will lose a congressional district for the first time in 30 years. In 1981, we went from 10 to nine districts. Now, we will cut that to eight. The Missouri General Assembly is responsible for coming up with this plan, while the governor will put together two of his own panels that will draw a new map for Missouri Senate and House districts.

These slow-growth population trends are evident in rural Missouri, including the 21^st Senatorial District, which includes these counties:

• Carroll, which had a population of 10,275 in 2000, and now has a population of 9,535. This equals a 7 percent decrease;
  
• Chariton, which had a population of 8,409 in 2000, and now has a population of 7,594. This also equals a 10 percent decrease;
  
• Clay, which had a population of 184,820 in 2000, and now has a population of 228,358. This represents a 24 percent increase;
  
• Cooper, which had a population of 16,702 in 2000, and now has a population of 17,298. This is a 3.8 percent increase;
  
• Howard, which had a population of 10,180 in 2000, and now has a population of 9,857. This equals a 3.5 percent decrease;
  
• Lafayette, which had a population of 33,019 in 2000, and now has a population of 32,572. This is a 1.2 percent decrease;
  
• Macon, which had a population of 15,738 in 2000, and now has a population of 15,359. This is a 2.6 percent decrease;
  
• Ray, which had a population of 23,374 in 2000, and now has a population of 23,358. There is no percentage change here; and
  
• Saline, which had a population of 23,742 in 2000, and now has a population of 22,821. This equals a 3.9 percent decrease.
  

Redrawing the congressional and the state’s Senate and House districts will not happen overnight. The plan is to have new district maps in place by the November 2012 election. Sometimes, there are legal challenges to redistricting, which only delays the process and can make knowing who you will ultimately vote for unknown until the last minute. I pray this does not happen this time.

Public hearings are going on throughout the state, and the Missouri General Assembly has until the end of the session to have something passed. If we do not, we will have to come back some time later this year for a special session. My hope is we will have something everyone can agree on before May 13.