This article first appeared in the St. Louis Beacon, Feb. 24, 2012 - In the same week when state Senate districts in St. Louis County received a major shakeup, a federal judge released new districts for the St. Louis County Council that made relatively changes.
The map, generally shifts territory between council members of the same political party. For example, part of Ballwin that was in the 7th District, represented by Councilman Greg Quinn, R-Chesterfield, is now in the 3rd District, represented by Councilman Colleen Wasinger, R-Town and Country.
The new map keeps the 5th District, represented by Councilman Pat Dolan, D-Richmond Heights, virtually unchanged. It also moves a sliver of the 6th District, represented by Councilman Steve Stenger, D-Affton, to Wasinger's district. And it also moves around territory in north St. Louis County, an area in which all three council members are Democrats.
The matter went to a federal magistrate judge when a bipartisan commission failed to come to consensus. The major disagreement was Dolan's district. The Democratic map made few significant changes, but the Republican proposal sought to move GOP-leaning territory into the 5th.
