(AP) — A divided Missouri Supreme Court upheld voting districts drawn for the state Senate on Wednesday, rejecting a legal challenge that claimed mapmakers should have placed a greater emphasis on keeping communities intact. The high court's 5-2 decision means the districts, first used in the 2022 elections, will remain in place both for this year's elections and ensuing ones. While a Republican Senate committee supported the Senate map enacted in 2022 by a panel of appeals court judges, a GOP House committee sided with Democratic-aligned voters suing for the districts to be overturned. The third prioritizes “contiguous” and “compact” districts, and the fourth requires communities to be kept whole in districts if possible under the equal population guidelines. The Supreme Court said a trial judge correctly decided that the constitution makes “compact” districts a higher priority than keeping communities intact.

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Persons: Judge Kelly Broniec, Mike Parson's, Judge W, Brent Powell, Judge Paul Wilson, ” Powell, Chuck Hatfield, ” Hatfield, I’m, Pro Tem Caleb Rowden, ” Organizations: JEFFERSON CITY, Republicans, Republican, GOP, Democratic, Republican Gov, Pro Locations: Mo, Missouri, Buchanan, Louis, Hazelwood, ”