Senate Committee on redistricting narrowly passes House re-districting map.

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4/ 5/2011: Newspaper Story - Both the Missouri House and Senate redistricting committees have voted to eliminate a Democratic St. Louis city district.

4/ 6/2011: Radio Story - A map passed in the House will cause St. Louis County to lose one of its three congressional seats.

4/ 6/2011: Newspaper Story - State representatives approved a plan Wednesday that would eliminate a St. Louis congressional district.

Intro:	Redistricting took a small step toward completion, passing out of the Senate redistricting committee. However, it was a step met with much opposition.
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Wrap: Kay Hoflander is a farmer from Lafayette county. Under the Houses proposed redistricting plan rural Lafayette county would be in the same congressional district as urban Kansas City.

Hoflander says she feels the map is not fair to rural areas.

Actuality:	HOFLAND.WAV
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Description: It's about representation and representation concerning our rural culture and rural interests are being thrown into an urban district. Where we believe will not have representation.

Senator Scott Rupp is the committee chair, he says the close vote out of committee could mean tough opposition for the map on the Senate floor.

The proposed map passed the committee by a vote of 4-3.

It will now move onto the Senate floor, where it could be discussed as early as this week.

From the state Capitol, I'm Megan McGinnis.

Intro:	The conflict between urban and rural interests took center stage in the redistricting debate.
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Wrap: The Senate redistricting committee passed the Houses proposed map by a vote of 4-3.

Citizens and Senators voiced their concerns over the new map.

Senator Robin Wright-Jones voted against the map. She says Blacks outside of St. Louis and Kansas City would loose their voice in congress.

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Description: I see that the two Democratic districts are both basically skewed to the eastern or western sides of the state.

Others says the map would combine too many urban and rural areas, diluting the representation of both parties.

The Committee Chair says the close vote out of his committee means the bill could meet hard opposition on the Senate floor.

From the state Capitol, I'm Megan McGinnis.

Intro:	The Houses proposed redistricting map will move onto the Senate floor, but a close vote out of committee could spell trouble for the map.
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Wrap:Several concerns over the Houses map were raised to the Senate redistricting committee.

Lafayette county resident Kay Hoflander says the map will dilute the interests of her rural county.

Under the proposed map Lafayette and two other rural counties will be included in a congressional district with urban Kansas City.

But Senate Committee Chair Scott Rupp says it will be difficult to make everyone happy with the map.

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Description: So, when you have to find the population you're gonna have to share some of the urban and suburban areas where the people are.

The bill passed by a one vote margin.

From the state Capitol, I'm Megan McGinnis.