The Missouri Supreme Court has unanimously ruled that the state Constitution’s plain language gives the governor broad authority to determine when and the topics of a special session.
Wednesday’s unanimous nine-page Supreme Court ruling upholds the constitutionality of new congressional maps approved by the GOP-controlled Legislature and signed into law by Governor Mike Kehoe (R).
Missouri attorney general Catherine Hanaway (R) praises the ruling, describing it as “yet another win for the people of Missouri and the Missouri FIRST map, and another loss for left-wing lawfare.”
The Missouri NAACP brought the case against the governor.
What it means: The legal case essentially centered around the dictionary definition of “extraordinary”, for an extraordinary, or a special, session.
What’s next: The Missouri Supreme Court says the state Constitution gives the governor discretion to determine when an extraordinary occasion has arisen and to call an extraordinary session, which is commonly called a special legislative session.