AREA DEMOCRATS SUPPORT CHANGE IN HOUSE REDISTRICTING MAP

State Rep. Gene Copeland, D-New Madrid, said Tuesday night he was optimistic that a legal challenge to a plan for new Missouri House districts would be successful.

Copeland is chairman of the Missouri House Democratic Caucus, which met Monday and agreed to challenge in court the plan drawn by a commission. Tuesday in St. Louis, Copeland testified on behalf of the caucus at the first of three public hearings on the plan being conducted by the redistricting commission.

Copeland and other Democrats are complaining that the new boundaries for the 163 Missouri House seats are unfair to blacks and women; that there is a big discrepancy with 10 districts having Democratic incumbents together and only one district with Republicans together; and that the map has many instances of gerrymandering designed to benefit Republicans.

"I'm optimistic the courts will agree that ... this plan should be thrown out," said Copeland. "We have four or five arguments to take it to court with and any one argument is a very strong one."

Copeland said he doubts the commission will alter the plan considerably, even after hearings are completed. One was held Wednesday in St. Joseph and another is planned today in Springfield. "I think the commission will cosmetically make it better, but they won't make the changes to make the Democratic caucus happy," said Copeland.

The veteran representative said the caucus wants the courts to throw out the commission plan and then appoint judges to draw a new one.

On Aug. 20, the commission approved a tentative plan on a 14 to 4 vote, with all 9 Republicans and 5 Democrats supporting the plan.

Mel Weems of Bonne Terre, the Democratic commissioner from the 8th Congressional District, voted for the plan last week and said he will likely stand by it even though he has been encouraged to change his vote by some Democrats.

"Unless there is some dramatic change somewhere, I voted for it the first time and, with a few minor corrections, will vote for it again," said Weems. "I feel like we treated minorities as well as the courts will treat them. We tried to be fair with everybody in my district and basically I feel that we have a good workable plan."

Weems said the commission plan represents an attempt to be fair to both parties and incumbent representatives.

"I think whether we do it or the court does it, there will be a certain amount of complaints," Weems added. "Even if the courts take it over, I don't think they are going to deviate much from what we have."

At Monday's caucus, 55 of the 98 Democrats in the House showed up and all supported challenging the commission plan. Many other representatives, who could not attend, sent letters of support, Copeland said.

Rep. Ollie Amick, D-Scott City, whose district is consolidated with Copeland's under the commission plan, said he felt the caucus went well and that the Democratic representatives want the plan challenged.

"There was some difference of opinion on whether it could be overturned in court, but everyone felt we should challenge it," said Amick. "Apparently the Democrats on the commission were in disarray and the Republicans were united."

Rep. Joe Driskill, D-Doniphan, said he is hopeful the commission will reconsider the plan. If it doesn't, he said, he feels the Democrats will have a good legal challenge.

"There is some gerrymandering in the plan that violates the compact and contiguous guidelines, and community interest as the constitution says," observed Driskill. "Even representatives who liked what was drawn were willing to have a challenge for the common good."

Driskill testified in St. Louis Tuesday, expressing concern about the way some cities were divided and the fact that a precinct in Ripley County was divided in half. Precincts are not normally split, and, Driskill said, it would be costly for the county clerk to run elections with that kind of split.

Amick is also dissatisfied with the way small towns were split, including his hometown of Scott City and Oran in north Scott County. He may express his concerns at a hearing in Springfield today.

"I don't blame the Republican commissioners in any way, shape or form for what was done," remarked Driskill. "They were quite smart in the way they did business. They played the disunity of the Democratic Party to their great advantage and they did quite an excellent job of it."

Democrats, who now hold a 98-65 advantage in the House, are concerned the new plan could lead to a Republican majority in the House over the next few years. Democrats have controlled the House since 1955.

"Over the long haul, I feel this plan could lead to a Republican majority," warned Driskill.

Amick agrees. "You can't measure the initial effects right now, but down the road as Democrats retire, the prospects (for Democrats) could be dimmer."

Copeland said his dissatisfaction with the plan is not based on the fact he has an opponent, but that partisan gerrymandering was done in drawing district lines. He noted that his home county of New Madrid is carved up three ways between himself, Rep. Larry Thomason, D-Kennett, and Rep. Opal Parks, D-Caruthersville.

If the commission plan is not changed, Amick would be in Copeland's district. But Amick said he could move to another part of Scott City and be in the same district as Rep. Dennis Ziegenhorn, D-Sikeston.

Weems said he understands everyone's concern, but pointed out that with Southeast Missouri's population loss, somebody has to be squeezed out.

"When you lose a lot of population, it is hard to work things out to please everyone," said Weems.

He said there could be some minor changes on the commission map before it is given final approval. Weems declined to outline any specific changes, but said they could involve the districts of Driskill, Copeland and Ziegenhorn.