KC Reporter

Governor Mike Kehoe has called for a special session of the Missouri General Assembly to address congressional redistricting and changes to the state’s initiative petition process. The session is scheduled to begin on Wednesday, September 3, 2025, at noon in Jefferson City.

Kehoe stated his intentions in a public announcement: “Today, I am calling on the General Assembly to take action on congressional redistricting and initiative petition reform to ensure our districts and Constitution truly put Missouri values first. This is about clarity for voters and ownership of our future, and I hope the legislature will work together to pass our Missouri First Map and critically needed IP reform.”

The governor introduced the "Missouri First Map," which he described as more compact and contiguous than previous versions. According to Kehoe, this map splits fewer counties and municipalities compared to the current one, preserves two congressional districts as currently drawn, and keeps all current members of Missouri’s congressional delegation within their existing districts.

“Missourians are more alike than we are different, and our Missouri values, across both sides of the aisle, are closer to each other than those of the extreme Left representation of New York, California, and Illinois,” said Governor Kehoe. “Missouri’s conservative, common-sense values should be truly represented at all levels of government, and the Missouri First Map delivers just that.”

In addition to redistricting efforts, Kehoe’s agenda includes several proposed reforms for the state’s initiative petition process. These proposals would ban foreign nationals from contributing funds toward statewide ballot measure committees; establish criminal penalties for fraudulent signature gathering or signing; require that any statewide ballot measure must be approved by a majority both statewide and in each congressional district; mandate opportunities for public comment before measures can proceed with signature collection; and ensure that full texts of measures are available at polling sites.

“For far too long, Missouri’s Constitution has been the victim of out-of-state special interests who deceive voters to pass out-of-touch policies,” said Governor Kehoe. “It's time we give voters a chance to protect our Constitution.”

Additional materials related to this announcement—including images of the proposed map—are available through links provided by Governor Kehoe's office.