Republican lawmakers say a 7-1 congressional map reflects Missouri's politics, but advocacy groups and state leaders believe efforts to redraw district lines are an affront to voters.

A group of state leaders and advocacy groups said Tuesday that efforts to redraw Missouri’s congressional districts will lump together urban and rural areas, potentially pitting communities against each other as they try to get their priorities in front of elected officials.

Representatives of the NAACP, the Missouri Voter Protection Coalition, the Missouri Workers Center and others said during a virtual news conference that a proposed map designed to split the 5th Congressional District, which encompasses Kansas City, would weaken voter representation and harm communities.

Missouri currently has eight con

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