JEFFERSON CITY — Facing a storm of criticism, Republicans in the Missouri House Thursday defended their plan to comply with President Donald Trump’s push to redraw the state’s congressional districts ahead of next year’s mid-term elections.

As part of a special session called by Gov. Mike Kehoe, a committee on redistricting heard more than five hours of testimony centering on plans to split Kansas City’s compact 5th district , represented by Democratic U.S. Rep. Emanuel Cleaver, into three districts where Republicans would have an electoral edge.

The measure, House Bill 1 sponsored by Rep. Dirk Deaton, R-Noel, would stretch the boundaries of the 5th district across Missouri’s mid-section to include more Republican areas around Sedalia, Jefferson City and rural areas north of Boone

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