JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) -- The Missouri Supreme Court has upheld the state's new congressional districts, finally providing certainty for candidates in the August primary elections.
The court ruled Friday that the eight new U.S. House districts comply with a constitutional requirement that they be "as compact ... as may be." The ruling upholds a February decision by Cole County Circuit Judge Dan Green.
Although some Supreme Court judges dissented, a majority determined that the Missouri Constitution does not require "absolute precision in compactness."
The legal challenge had focused particularly on boundaries drawn in the Kansas City and St. Louis areas.
Missouri lawmakers enacted the new districts last year by overriding a veto of Gov. Jay Nixon. The state lost one of its nine congressional districts as a result of the 2010 census.
TV Station Profiles & Public Inspection Files forKRCG