Governor Kehoe’s Special Session: Politics Over People
By State Representative Marty Joe Murray
Governor Kehoe calling the legislature back into special session to consider redrawing our congressional maps and altering the initiative petition process; is shameful. On paper, this might sound procedural. In reality, it is yet another reminder to the people of Missouri that their will though expressed clearly at the ballot box; can be undermined at any time by those in power.
The question before us is not only what lines will be drawn on a map or what rules will govern citizen-led petitions. The deeper question is: how far do we expect citizens to bend before their faith in our institutions finally breaks?
Time and again, Missourians have been shown that their voices can be ignored. When voters repealed so-called “right-to-work” laws through Proposition A, they exercised their democratic right to reject a policy they believed harmed workers. Yet, instead of respecting that decision, the legislature quickly looked for ways to weaken or work around it. When voters approved medical marijuana and then later Amendment 3 for adult use, the General Assembly responded not by implementing the people’s will faithfully, but by layering new restrictions and rules that twisted the original intent.
And now, we face the prospect of mid-cycle redistricting. This is not just a matter of drawing new lines; it’s an effort to bend constitutional principles. Redistricting is meant to occur once per decade after the census, providing stable representation until the next official count. To revisit those maps mid-cycle, absent a court order, is not only unprecedented but unconstitutional. It undermines the very purpose of fair apportionment and invites a dangerous precedent where maps are redrawn whenever political winds shift. The message to voters is clear: even the constitutional guardrails meant to protect your voice can be bent out of shape when it is politically convenient. These are not abstract debates. They are lived experiences that tell Missourians their vote may not matter. Each time leaders reverse, dilute, or delay what the people demanded, trust erodes a little further. And each time trust erodes, the foundation of our democracy grows weaker.
Meanwhile, real issues cry out for our attention. Families are still rebuilding from devastating tornadoes. Communities across the state struggle with affordable housing, child care shortages, rural hospital closures, and the crushing weight of rising costs. These are the matters where government could step in to impact lives significantly and directly. Yet instead, taxpayer dollars are being spent on political theater maneuvers designed to curry favor with the President of the United States rather than to serve the people of Missouri.
Special sessions should be about emergencies, about moments when time is of the essence. But the only urgency here seems to be political, not practical. Missourians deserve better than to be used as pawns in a national political game. It is not too late to change course. We could choose to respect the voice of the people. We could choose to rebuild trust rather than fracture it further. We could choose to put our time, our energy, and our resources toward the everyday struggles of Missourians instead of chasing partisan points.
The people of this state have bent under the weight of broken promises before. But bending has its limits. If we continue down this road, the question won’t be whether Missourians are frustrated with their government; it will be whether they believe in it at all.
Marty Joe Murray is the 78th District State Representative in the Missouri House. As a Democrat he is a dedicated public servant known for championing issues at the intersection of healthcare, equity, and justice.
