Missouri House rejects state Senate redistricting map

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- As expected, the Missouri House Thursday morning refused to accept the congressional district map drawn by the state Senate and has voted to send the map back to the Senate, asking it to take up and pass the original house map. The Senate is expected to deny that request, and grant a House request to go to a conference committee to hash out the differences between the two maps. House Redistricting Committee chairman, Rep. John Diehl, R-Town and Country, has said in the past there is not much difference between the House and Senate map. He told colleagues Thursday he didn't think the House would have to take any extreme measures to bring the House and Senate to an agreement. Rep. Joe Aull, D-Marshall, an outspoken critic of the House and Senate map drew Diehl's ire when he took to the floor to accuse the state's congressional contingent of drawing maps that keep the maximum number of incumbents safe