Denny Hoskins, Missouri's Secretary of State, has requested a federal district court to protect him from a state supreme court order requiring him to explain why he should not be held in contempt of court for instructing local officials to use a congressional election map that the court had blocked. This request adds complexity to an election process that Hoskins has been accused of undermining over the past year. The Missouri Supreme Court has scheduled a contempt hearing for Thursday, where Hoskins is ordered to appear in person.
For the past year, Hoskins has been involved in efforts to prevent voters from vetoing a congressional gerrymander, which the Missouri Supreme Court ruled had not taken legal effect and could only be used if approved by voters in a referendum election. The gerrymander in question alters a Kansas City district currently represented by Rep. Emanuel Cleaver (D) as part of a broader effort to secure more congressional seats for Republicans.
Despite his previous resistance, Hoskins certified the redistricting referendum to appear on the November ballot after initially rejecting it. Following a U.S. Supreme Court decision not to intervene in the map dispute, a Missouri federal district court judge ruled that the state could only use the new GOP gerrymander for congressional elections this year, a decision that has been appealed to the 8th Circuit Court of Appeals. Hoskins argued that he cannot disregard the district court's order without risking contempt proceedings. This situation has led to conflicting directives for local election officials as they face deadlines to finalize and print ballots.
The Missouri Supreme Court has ordered Hoskins to explain why his actions do not violate the court's injunction, as opponents of the gerrymander seek to hold him in contempt.