The GOP is hellbent on denying Missouri voters their constitutional right to hold a veto referendum on the state’s Trump-demanded congressional gerrymander.

Friday, November 28

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THIS WEEK

- The GOP’s wild bid to deny Missouri voters a voice on gerrymandering

- Federal judge dismisses Comey, James prosecutions

- The Voting Rights Act is still working to stop racist laws

REDISTRICTING

The GOP’s wild bid to deny Missouri voters a voice on gerrymandering

Missouri’s redistricting battle has unfortunately gone under the radar of national news, but Democracy Docket has been following every step ([link removed] ) of the GOP’s relentless, anti-democracy attack to stop voters ([link removed] ) from having the final word on the state’s new congressional gerrymander.

Everything is leading up to one major upcoming deadline: Dec. 11, when organizers must submit at least 106,000 signatures to get a redistricting referendum on the ballot.

Once the signatures are submitted, organizers say the map can’t be used in an election unless voters approve it.

But the final days leading up to Dec. 11 are going to be bumpy as voters navigate an ever-growing list of litigation ([link removed] ) related to the map.

Meanwhile, President Donald Trump’s months of bullying Indiana Republicans appeared to finally garner some results this week, with both chambers of the legislature agreeing to reconvene ([link removed] ) in December. But Senate Republicans opposed to redistricting have dug in their heels despite waves of daunting pressure, threats and intimidation ([link removed] ) – and it’s possible Trump still doesn’t have the votes.

And in Texas, voters are still waiting ([link removed] ) on a final answer from the U.S. Supreme Court about whether the state can use its Trump gerrymander in 2026. The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) this week filed ([link removed] ) an amicus brief in the case, boldly claiming that the much-maligned ([link removed] ) letter it sent urging state leaders to redistrict was not, in fact, the reason why Texas redrew its map immediately after receiving the letter. We’ll see if the court buys it. Read more about redistricting here ([link removed] ) .



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WEAPONIZED DOJ

Federal judge dismisses Comey, James prosecutions

In one of the most consequential stories this week, a federal judge dismissed ([link removed] ) the DOJ’s cases against former FBI Director James Comey and New York Attorney General Letitia James.

Trump’s second term plan to seek vengeance against his political enemies suffered a major setback, with the court finding acting U.S. Attorney Lindsey Halligan ([link removed] ) couldn’t have brought the charges against Comey and James since the Trump administration appointed her unlawfully.

“This case presents the unique, if not unprecedented, situation where an unconstitutionally appointed prosecutor, exercising ‘power [she] did not lawfully possess,’ acted alone in conducting a grand jury proceeding and securing an indictment,” the judge wrote.

But the charges were dismissed without prejudice, meaning the DOJ can refile them – at least against James. The Comey charges could be done for good, thanks to the statute of limitations. Read more about the prosecutions here ([link removed] ) .

VOTING RIGHTS

The Voting Rights Act is still working to stop racist laws

As Democracy Docket readers know, we’re extremely concerned about the Supreme Court’s upcoming ruling in the Louisiana v. Callais case, which could literally allow the GOP to lock in ([link removed] ) control of the U.S. House for the next generation.

But we also want to make sure you know how this potential blow to the Voting Rights Act (VRA) could have consequences that extend far beyond redistricting ([link removed] ) .

Democracy Docket reporter Jim Saksa’s latest deep dive helps connect the dots on where the VRA came from, why we need it now and where it could be headed. Read more here ([link removed] ) .

OPINION

Collective State Action Can Stop Trump and Protect Democracy

Screenshot 2025-11-26 at 4.16.02 PM ([link removed] )

States have become the focal point of resistance to Trump, taking on legal battles from opposing National Guard troop deployments to fighting gerrymandering. That’s why the states need to work together.

“Cross-state working groups, like the one State Futures — which I launched in March — is organizing for legislators, can exchange strategies and playbooks to counter disinformation and reinforce voter confidence,” wrote Gaby Goldstein, the founder of State Futures ([link removed] ) . Read more here ([link removed] ) .

NEW EPISODE

Republicans Freak Out After Huge Redistricting Loss In Texas

Texas Republicans just suffered a major legal defeat — and now they’re panicking. After their gerrymandered redistricting scheme collapsed in court, a dissenting judge went off the rails, name-dropping Marc and pushing conspiracy-style attacks instead of legal arguments.

In this video, Marc explains why the GOP lost, what made their map unconstitutional, and how these wild attacks on voting rights lawyers expose the weakness of their case. When extremists can’t win on the law, they go after the people defending democracy. Watch it on YouTube here ([link removed] ) .

What We’re Doing

No one at Democracy Docket has planned a busier Thanksgiving week than Legal Content Editor Ashley Cleaves, who will be sticking to a rigorous schedule of watching, rewatching, processing, debriefing and rewatching (in multiple formats) the second movie in the Wicked saga, Wicked: For Good. What America needs right now is an explicitly anti-fascist Thanksgiving blockbuster, and that’s exactly what we (particularly Ashley) will be watching. Here’s hoping the movie will rally more Americans to realize: our wizard lies, too.

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