This week, more than 3,500 Missourians traveled to Jefferson City to make their voices heard. They came from every corner of the state: teachers, nurses, construction workers, retirees, and young people just getting involved in politics. They came because Governor Mike Kehoe called an extraordinary session to push through two dangerous pieces of legislation that will reshape Missouri’s political landscape and strip power away from the people.
The first bill seeks to gerrymander Missouri’s congressional map in a way that divides Kansas City into three separate districts. This would eliminate Congressman Emanuel Cleaver’s seat, a district that has for decades provided a strong and consistent voice for working families. Congressman Cleaver has been a champion for infrastructure development, helping deliver billions of dollars to Kansas City and the state of Missouri. He has prioritized affordable housing, fought for good-paying jobs, and maintained strong relationships across the aisle to ensure Missouri received its fair share of federal investment. Eliminating his district is not about fair representation. It is about silencing a voice that has stood with working people.
The second proposal may be even more dangerous. It would fundamentally change Missouri’s citizen-led initiative process for constitutional amendments and referendums. Under the new rules, it would no longer be enough for a measure to win a simple statewide majority. Instead, it would require a measure to pass in all eight congressional districts.
Think about what that means. In 2018, Missouri voters used this process to defeat so-called “right to work” by a resounding 67 percent of the statewide vote. That victory was one of the proudest moments in our state’s labor history. But here’s the catch: we only carried 7 of the 8 congressional districts. If these rules had been in place then, “right to work” would have become the law of the land, despite two-thirds of Missourians voting against it.
That is the true intent of this legislation. It is not about fairness. It is not about accountability. It is about making sure the voices of working people can be ignored, even when we are the majority.
But behind every statistic and every headline are real people. I met one of them outside the Capitol that day. She was an older woman, exhausted from the heat, looking for directions. When she began to collapse, I caught her and made sure she was safe. Once she had water and time to recover, we walked together inside.
She told me this was the first time she had ever been to the Capitol, the first protest she had ever joined. She had been a nurse her whole career, working long nights in the ER before moving to hospice as she nears retirement. She had voted Republican her entire life. When I asked her what brought her here, she began to cry. “I’m worried about my country,” she said.
Her words cut to the heart of what is at stake. This is not about Republicans or Democrats. This is about whether ordinary Missourians still have a voice in their own democracy.
The thousands who filled Jefferson City this week know the truth: power belongs with the people, not with politicians who change the rules to cling to control. Working families built this state, and it is our right to decide its future.
That nurse from the Lake of the Ozarks reminded me that courage does not come from party affiliation or political experience. It comes from standing up when it matters most. Today, it matters. Tomorrow, it will matter even more.
