By Leslie Collins
Northeast News
December 7, 2011

“We did very well. I’m very excited about the new district,” District 40 State Rep. John Rizzo said of redistricting.

For the second time in state history, a judicial panel created new district boundaries for both the state Senate and House of Representatives. Since bipartisan citizen apportionment commissions failed to agree on new district lines in September, the Supreme Court of Missouri appointed a commission of six appellate judges to determine the new boundaries, as required by state law.

The new districts will take effect during the primary and general elections next year.

Asked to describe changes to the 40th District, Rizzo said the 40th District will now become the 19th District. The 40th District lost City Market, but gained additional territory from the southeast corner.

“Comparing the way we did the rest of the state, we did very well because the district directly to the east of us now has two elected incumbents in it that might have to run against each other,” Rizzo said.

A few other districts also now contain two incumbents, he said.

“What I’m most excited about is we were able to keep everything north of the Avenue (Independence Avenue) together and a majority of the 40th District,” Rizzo said. “Eighty-five percent of it is the same district as what it was.”

As far as gaining extra territory in the southeast corner, Rizzo said he welcomes the new voters and that, “I think we have a lot of common issues we can all tackle together.”

Those common issues include crime, vacant homes, foreclosures and other issues associated with the urban core, he said.

To view the interactive redistricting maps, visit http://oa.mo.gov/bp/redistricting/new_state_legislative_districts.htm.