Members of Missouri House propose smaller chamber

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Proposals to reduce the number of seats in the Missouri House of Representatives have traditionally enjoyed more support in the state Senate, whose members didn't have to fear having their jobs eliminated.

This year's effort, however, is originating in the House, where supporters say a smaller body would produce a more efficient operation and save the state $4 million to $6 million a year, according to rough estimates.

State Rep. Kevin Engler, one of the measure's 10 sponsors, said he has been trying to build support for the idea in Southeast Missouri.

"We are supposed to be for smaller government," said Engler, R-Farmington. "I think other states have proved you can have a smaller legislature and still be close to the people."

The proposal, which would require a voter-approved change to the Missouri Constitution, would reduce the number of House districts to 101 from the current 163.

Missouri currently has the fourth-largest House in the nation, behind only Georgia, Pennsylvania and New Hampshire, which has by far the biggest lower chamber with 400 members.

While the Missouri Senate passed a proposed amendment to shrink the House in 2000, the lower chamber ignored it.

The lead sponsor of the current proposal, state Rep. Kevin Threlkeld, R-Washington, said that because term limits have since ended career incumbency, more legislators are willing to overhaul the House's structure.

If the amendment clears the legislature and is ratified by voters in November, the overhaul wouldn't occur until 2012, the first election cycle after the next scheduled round of legislative redistricting. By that time, all current House members will have been term-limited out of office.

Reducing the number of House seats would result in representatives serving more constituents spread over a wider geographical area. The chief argument against doing so has been that it would hurt the ability of lawmakers to serve their districts.

House Speaker Catherine Hanaway, R-Warson Woods, noted that while it takes at most 20 minutes to traverse her suburban district by car, it takes some representatives who serve multiple counties hours to get from one side of their districts to the other.

"I think it is a very difficult issue," Hanaway said. "We do have a House that is very large in terms of membership relative to other states. We also have a geographically large state where population density varies greatly."

Legislative districts are drawn as to be roughly equal in population. Representatives currently serve about 34,000 constituents.

Threlkeld said the arguments against a smaller House don't carry as much weight as they once did, especially with the advances in communications technology.

Threlkeld said he's willing to negotiate upwards from the 101-member chamber he has proposed. Engler says there should be 109 seats, a one-third reduction from the present level.

The size of the House has changed numerous times over the years, most recently in 1963 when the chamber went from 157 to 163 members. Senate membership has been set at 34 since 1865.

The measure is HJR 37.

mpowers@semissourian.com

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