Missouri Redistricting Lawsuit: Judge Presides Over Bench Trial on Referendum Challenge
A judge in Cole County, Missouri, presided over a bench trial on Monday regarding a lawsuit related to a referendum campaign challenging a redistricting measure passed by the Missouri Legislature earlier this year. Despite a last-minute motion from an intervening attorney, Judge Christopher Limbaugh allowed the trial to proceed. The first testimony was given by the chief elections official under Missouri Secretary of State Denny Hoskins.
The lawsuit revolves around an ongoing redistricting referendum that is still gathering over 100,000 signatures required to trigger a referendum vote. The signatures have been collected but have not been submitted yet. The group behind the referendum campaign stated that they plan to submit the signatures later this week. People Not Politicians Missouri filed the lawsuit against the state, alleging that Secretary of State Denny Hoskins is violating the constitution by refusing to count the votes. Hoskins explained in October that he is obligated by law to reject signatures collected outside the legal period so that the group can continue collecting signatures.
The timeline for Judge Limbaugh to issue a ruling on the matter remains uncertain.