Businessmen selected for state Senate apportionment commission

Two area businessmen have been appointed by Gov. Jay Nixon to help set new boundaries for the 34 districts in the Missouri Senate.

Attorney Doug Harpool, a partner with Springfield-based Baird, Lightner, Millsap & Harpool PC, and Nick Myers, an independent certified public accountant in Joplin, have been selected for the 10-member, bipartisan apportionment commission. Harpool is a Democrat and Myers is a Republican, according to a Jan. 31 news release from the governor's office.

The Missouri Constitution requires the state's legislative districts to be reapportioned every 10 years, in line with the newest census. The reapportionment process has already been through several pitfalls.

After a senatorial apportionment commission failed to reach agreement late last year, the process was passed to a panel of appellate judges. In January, however, the Missouri Supreme Court invalidated the senatorial map approved by that commission, according to the release.

The state committees of the Democratic and Republican parties each submitted 10 names to Nixon to be considered for the apportionment committee.

Other members, and their political affiliations, are:

• Nicole Colbert-Botchway, D-St. Louis;  
• Jean Paul Bradshaw II, R-Kansas City;
• Steve Ehlman, R-St. Charles;
• Marc Ellinger, R-Jefferson City;
• W. Mitchell Elliott, D-Kansas City;
• Todd Patterson, D-Kansas City;
• Lowell Pearson, R-Columbia; and
• Trent Skaggs, D-Kansas City.

The commission is scheduled to hold its first meeting Feb. 18 in Jefferson City.[[In-content Ad]]