The Missouri State Supreme Court rejected new state Senate district maps, and directed two lower courts to determine if new US House Districts boundaries violate the constitutional requirement that they be “as compact as may be.”

In its rulings Tuesday, the high court said that time is of the essence, and directed circuit courts to conduct hearings and enter new judgments in two cases by February 3.

If the circuit courts rule the new U.S. House districts violate the constitutional provision, the General Assembly would have to take up the matter.

The governor must also appoint a new judicial panel to come up with a new set of state Senate district lines.

The state asked the high court to dismiss both cases, and judges at the circuit court level agreed. But the judges on the Supreme Court found that there are questions of fact that must be addressed by the lower courts on the US House district maps.  Find that ruling here.

Justices rejected the state Senate district maps, ruling they violate constitutional provisions requiring that the boundaries not cross county lines except to equalize the populations of nearby districts.  That ruling can be found here.