Court Opinion

ID: 8878628
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2022-11-26 19:51:19.504891+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T17:06:30.746963
License: Public Domain

WANGELIN, Chief District Judge,
dissenting.
I respectfully dissent;
The 1980 census revealed that Missouri’s population growth failed to keep up with national population growth and consequently Missouri’s Congressional delegation was reduced from ten seats to nine. This failure to keep up with national population growth, and in some areas the actual decline in population, was most pronounced in the presently constituted first, second and third districts. I cannot concur with a redistricting plan that rewards areas for loss of population at the expense of areas that have not suffered such dramatic demographic declines. Rather, I would adopt the provisions of the First Extraordinary Session Senate Substitute for Senate Commit*948tee Substitute for House Bill No. 1 [hereinafter the Plan], which is substantially the same as the Dirk Plan offered in the regular session, for the following reasons.
First, the Plan comports with the law as laid down in Preisler v. Secretary of Missouri, 341 F.Supp. 1158 (W.D.Mo.1972), and gives consideration to the salvageable portions of the districts created by that decision.
Second, the Plan splits only St. Louis and Jackson Counties1 and does not split the City of St. Louis. The majority plan not only splits these two counties and others, but also divides the City of St. Louis — an area which has lost population and does not contain the requisite population to constitute even one congressional district. Efforts to give voters in the City of St. Louis input in representation of other areas in more than one district would amount to rewarding the City for its population decline.
The suggestion that St. Charles and Jefferson Counties are part of the St. Louis metropolitan area and should therefore be drawn into overwhelmingly urban districts ignores the fact that population increases in those counties were primarily the result of popular flight from the “St. Louis metropolitan area.”
To award multiple representation to the City of St. Louis and one-third of Missouri’s congressional delegation to the “St. Louis metropolitan area,” is not only unjust political compensation for an area of dwindling population but confounds the principles of representative government and the common sense application of the legal precepts which bind this panel.
The first district shall be composed of all of St. Louis City and the following United States Census Tracts in St. Louis County: Nos. 2199, 2200, 2139, 2140, 2138, 2204.02, 2204.04, 2203, 2205, 2206.02, 2201 and 2202. Total population — 543,314.
The second district shall be composed of the following United States Census Tracts in St. Louis County: Nos. 2106, 2105, 2118, 2119, 2104, 2120, 2121, 2122, 2123, 2124, 2125, 2117, 2116, 2115, 2126, 2129, 2128, 2127, 2137, 2136, 2135, 2134, 2130, 2114.02, 2131.01, 2133, 2114.01, 2131.02, 2151.01, 2151.04, 2132.01, 2132.02, 2150.01, 2151.03, 2151.02, 2150.03, 2150.02, 2153.01, 2152.01, 2153.02, 2148, 2149, 2147, 2146, 2144, 2145, 2143, 2159, 2157, 2156, 2155, 2154, 2165, 2158, 2162, 2164, 2163, 2161, 2160, 2141, 2142, 2168, 2169, 2170, 2191, 2171, 2172, 2167, 2166, 2173, 2102, 2103, 2109.03, 2110, 2111, 2112, 2182, 2180.02, 2181, 2189, 2174, 2175, 2188, 2187, 2186, 2185, 2184, 2176, 2177.01, 2180.01, 2183 and 2190. Total population — 543,053.
The third district shall be composed of the following counties: Jefferson, Ste. Genevieve, St. Francois, Perry, Madison, Iron, Bollinger, Cape Girardeau, Scott, Stoddard, Wayne, Carter, Ripley, Butler, Dunklin, Pemiscot, New Madrid, and Mississippi. Total Population — 547,819.
The fourth district shall be composed of the townships of Fort Osage, Sni-A-Bar, Van Burén, and Prairie in Jackson County, and the counties of Ray, Lafayette, Saline, Howard, Boone, Cooper, Pettis, Johnson, Cass, Bates, Henry, Benton, Morgan, Moniteau, Camden, Hickory, St. Clair, Vernon, and Barton. Total Population — 548,028.
The fifth district shall be composed of the Jackson County Townships of Kaw, Blue, Brooking, and Washington. Total Population — 548,520.
The sixth district shall be composed of the following counties: Atchison, Nodaway, Worth, Harrison, Mercer, Putnam, Schuyler, Scotland, Adair, Sullivan, Grundy, Daviess, DeKalb, Gentry, Andrew, Holt, Buchanan, Clinton, Caldwell, Livingston, Chariton, Linn, Macon, Randolph, Carroll, Clay, and Platte. Total Population — 545,729.
The seventh district shall be composed of the following counties: Cedar, Polk, Dallas, Wright, Webster, Greene, Dade, Jasper, Lawrence, Christian, Douglas, Ozark, Taney, Stone, Barry, McDonald, and Newton. Total Population — 545,921.
*949The eighth district shall be composed of the following United States Census Tracts in St. Louis County: Nos. 2215, 2214.02, 2214.01, 2213.03, 2204.03, 2197, 2198, 2210, 2209, 2194, 2195, 2196, 2193, 2192, 2211, 2212.01, 2212.02, 2208.03, 2208.02, 2207.03, 2207.02, 2207.01, 2206.01, 2208.01, 2213.01, 2213.02, and the counties of Cole, Osage, Gasconade, Franklin, Miller, Maries, Washington, Crawford, Phelps, Pulaski, Dent, Laclede, Taxas, Shannon, Reynolds, Howell, and Oregon. Total Population — 549,459.
The ninth district shall be composed of the following United States Census Tracts in St. Louis County: Nos. 2113.02, 2113.01, 2113.03, 2109.02, 2109.01, 2108.02, 2108.03, 2108.04, 2107, 2101, 2216, 2151.05, 2152.03, 2178.05, 2178.04, 2177.02, 2152.02, 2179.02, 2179.03, 2179.04, 2178.06, 2178.07, 2178.02, and the following counties: Clark, Lewis, Knox, Shelby, Marion, Monroe, Ralls, Pike, Audrain, Callaway, Montgomery, Lincoln, Warren, and St. Charles. Total Population —545,601.

*950•I l Out I CO

*951

. These are the only two counties in Missouri that must be split since their individual population exceeds the population total necessary (546,298) to make one congressional district.