Missouri Secretary of State Denny Hoskins (R) announced Tuesday — Missouri’s primary day, the latest he could legally push the decision — that he will not certify a petition that would’ve challenged Republicans’ new 7-1 gerrymander. He deemed the attempt to force a veto referendum to be “insufficient” because “challenging a congressional map is unconstitutional under Missouri law.” Missouri law lets voters block legislation if they gather enough signatures on a petition, then win a statewide vote. “Therefore House Bill 1 — the ‘Missouri First’ map — continues to be the law of the land.” The new gerrymander eliminates Rep. Emmanuel Cleaver’s (D-MO) Kansas City seat, turning a 6-2 Republican gerrymander into a 7-1.