Fred Dreiland, outside lobbyist for Jackson County, briefed legislators Sept. 22 on a range of state-level developments after the special session in Jefferson City.

Dreiland said recent redistricting changes in the Republican-led legislature would significantly alter the Fifth Congressional District and that two lawsuits have already been filed; organizers are also exploring a referendum that could place the matter before voters if sufficient signatures are collected. "There are 2 lawsuits that have already been filed," he said, and organizers including the AFL-CIO were working on referendum efforts.

He also described initiative petition reform passed during the special session that includes a new requirement that petitions carry majority support in all eight congressional districts and added procedural steps such as public hearings and disclosures. Dreiland said several competing initiative-petition proposals were still circulating.

On taxes, Dreiland said the House had formed an interim committee on property-tax reform; Representative Fowler and Representative Taylor were mentioned as points of contact. He warned that late-session notices from the state tax commission — which told many counties to raise rates — have added pressure and that proposed state-level tweaks are likely. Dreiland also discussed the stadium/bond legislation and its attendant legal questions and noted a shake-up on the Senate Appropriations Committee.

Legislators used the briefing to link county action to state developments. Legislator Anderson asked the lobbyists to be aware that the legislature had passed a resolution supporting legal challenges to reapportionment and to coordinate with county counsel; colleagues asked staff to provide the passed resolution to the lobbyists.

Why this matters: state-level redistricting, initiative reforms and property-tax proposals can alter county revenue dynamics, representation in Congress and local political processes. County lobbyists and legal counsel will be tracking litigation and referendum activity that could affect the county’s interests in the months ahead.