© 2024 St. Louis Public Radio
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Nasheed questions Nixon's lack of influence in redistricting

This article first appeared in the St. Louis Beacon, April 6, 2011 - State Rep. Jamilah Nasheed, D-St. Louis and a member of the House redistricting committee, has fired off another political shot at the state's top Democrat, Gov. Jay Nixon.

Nasheed, who moved last week to knock the governor's traveling money out of the state budget, now is accusing the governor of "lack of leadership" that she contends "has left Democrats in the dark on the issue of congressional redistricting."

"This is perhaps the biggest issue we will discuss in the legislature this year and I have no idea what the governor thinks because he has been completely silent," said Nasheed in a statement issued Tuesday. "Gov. Nixon is the highest ranking Democrat in our state and Democrats look to him for leadership on this issue and so many others. That leadership has been completely absent when it comes to redistricting. It's time for that to change."

Nasheed has been an outspoken defender of congressional boundary lines that are seen as protecting the 1st District now represented by U.S. Rep. William Lacy Clay, D-St. Louis. The district already garners special protection under the federal Voting Rights Act, and is Missouri's only congressional district where African-Americans are seen as a majority of the population.

The state House committee's map protects Clay's district -- as does the alternate map approved this week by the state Senate redistricting panel. Both maps also do away with the current 3rd District now represented by U.S. Rep. Russ Carnahan, D-St. Louis. That action had been expected as well, since Missouri is losing one of its current nine congressional districts.

The governor -- who happens to be a close personal friend of Clay -- has yet to signal whether he would go along with either map. But there are suspicions that Nixon, a native of Jefferson County, might not be as keen on the state House map since it splits his home turf  among three congressional districts.

Asked Nasheed: "Does he support the map the (House) committee approved or does he have an alternative that he wants Democrats to support? Democrats need to know."

Nixon's veto of the legislature's final map could force the matter to a panel of judges to take over the task -- unless the state House and Senate override the governor's action.

The state Senate is deemed to be in the strongest position to override a gubernatorial veto. Senate Republicans now enjoy a 26-8 edge -- three more than needed for an override vote.

State House Republicans are three short of the necessary 109 votes -- and some already speculate that's where Nasheed and other Democratic legislators in the 1st District fit in, particularly those closest to Clay.

Nasheed has been critical of Nixon for years on various matters. Her public statement Tuesday on redistricting may be a signal that she likely will be the 107th vote for state House Speaker Steve Tilley, R-Perryville, should he need it.

Her outspoken statement Tuesday also may be aimed at encouraging a couple other Democratic legislators in the 1st District to follow her lead -- even if it means opposing Nixon.

However, even if a House override should fail and judges did get the redistricting task, it's expected that they would protect the 1st District as well.

That fight could end up being linked to another pending redistricting battle, involving the General Assembly. And Nixon appears to be in the stronger position.

--- 

On Tuesday, the two special commissions that Nixon set up to draw up new state House and Senate lines -- as required by law -- announced their chairmen. And both are strong Democrats believed to be on good terms with the governor.

Former Lt. Gov. Joe Maxwell, of Mexico, Mo., has been elected chairman of the House Apportionment Commission. Former state Rep. Doug Harpool, D-Springfield, has been elected chairman of the Senate Apportionment Commission.

The vice chairs -- both Republicans -- are former Ambassador Ann Wagner of St. Louis for the House panel, and John Maupin for the Senate commission.

Bipartisan agreements on both commissions are required, or the legislative map-drawing also will be tossed to Missouri judges.

Although the commissions won't conduct most of their hearings until after the General Assembly ends this session, there may be some private discussions in the state Capitol shortly concerning a possible dilemma: Will a battle with the governor over congressional redistricting lead to less-than-desirable legislative boundaries for some legislators now in office?.

Since the 1st congressional district has lost a lot of population, that means some of the state House and Senate seats in that district may be doomed and shifted elsewhere in the region.

Which could put Nasheed and other 1st District Democratic legislators in a difficult spot -- and prompt contemplation on what they may risk if they take on the governor in a move to best protect Clay.

Jo Mannies is a freelance journalist and former political reporter at St. Louis Public Radio.