The Senate approved the House bill with a vote of 22-11 after Senate Redistricting Chairman Sen. Scott Rupp, R-St. Charles County, proposed a change to the plan that made the House map virtually identical to the Senate's own proposal, thus eliminating any differences between the two, aside from what Rupp called "minute" changes to the First and Second district lines. Rupp said he presented his changes because the House map had "multiple problems" among senators.
Senate Redistricting Committee Chairman Sen. Scott Rupp, R-St. Charles County, said the split vote on the House map showed that the plan would probably face debate in the Senate. Rupp's own proposal passed unanimously in the Senate committee last week.
In a news conference Monday, Rep. John Diehl, R-St. Louis County, and Sen. Scott Rupp, R-St. Charles County, announced the federal report will arrive this week. The state must implement changes to the current districts before the 2012 elections.
"It's Good Friday now, an Easter holiday. We tried and it's time to send everyone home," said the Senate conference chair -- Sen. Scott Rupp, R-St. Charles shortly after the Senate adjourned for the weekend.
"It's Good Friday now, an Easter holiday. We tried and it's time to send everyone home," said the Senate conference chair -- Sen. Scott Rupp, R-St. Charles shortly after the Senate adjourned for the weekend.