Redistricting committees prepare to start work as census data arrives

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Virtually every state near Missouri has already received detailed new population data from the U.S. Census Bureau. Now it is Missouri's turn.

The bureau plans to ship the data to Missouri officials this week. Lawmakers leading the state's congressional redistricting efforts plan to hold a news conference Monday to announce the receipt of the data. The Census Bureau will provide summaries of population totals, as well as data on race, Hispanic origin and voting age for multiple geographies within the state, such as census blocks, tracts, voting districts, cities, counties and school districts.

State Rep. John Diehl, R-Town and Country, and Sen. Scott Rupp, R-St. Charles, who run each chamber's respective redistricting committees, will then be able to relate the data to proposals to redraw the borders of the state's congressional districts.

Due to population-driven congressional reapportionment, Missouri's delegation in the U.S. House will fall from nine to eight members.