Redistricting will be the main focus for State Rep. Jeff Porter as this year’s legislative session enters its fourth week.

“That’s our top priority,” Porter said. “We have time tables we have to meet and we kind of have to get things established so the people will know what territories they’ll be voting in for the congressional districts. That’s our main responsibility.”

Recently, members of the Missouri House passed a congressional redistricting map (HB 2117) by a vote of 86-67. The map would keep the state’s current congressional makeup of six Republican seats and two Democratic seats. The vote was made on Jan. 19.

Since the new legislative session began on Jan. 5, Porter filed 14 bills. They were related to a wide variety of topics that dealt with distracted driving, education, transportation, insurance, alcohol, licensing. Porter, who recently was named the chair of the House Transportation Committee for the 2022 legislative session, said he will be working on two more bills on transportation.

“It’s starting to ramp up, but it’s a process,” Porter said. “You have to listen to the committees and get the rules and know what’s against the rules in order to go to the floor. We’re not having any floor time yet because we don’t have any bills to go over yet. I say by the end of the month, we’ll be doing normal sessions.”

House members pre-filed 770 bills, six short of the record of 776 that was set in 2020. Topics included primary elections, catalytic converters, vaccine mandates, money laundering, discrimination in education, campaign finance and child care facilities. Pre-filing began on Dec. 1 and ended on Jan. 4.

During the legislative session, lawmakers from all around the state meet at the state capitol in Jefferson City. They attend committee meetings, debate on the floor of both chambers and negotiate policies. The session lasts until May 30.

“You open up the books and go through the protocol of starting the next session,” Porter said. “There is not a whole lot of activity. We are just trying to get things going. We’re different because an assembly is a two-year process. We’re in the back half of the 101st Assembly. A lot of the committees are already in place, so any kind of adjustments the speaker makes are towards departures.”

Porter said two members from the House turned in their resignations – Rep. Justin Hill of Lake St. Louis and Rep. Aaron Greisheimer of Washington. Hill moved to Florida, while Greisheimer took a new job in St. Charles. With the departures of Hill and Greisheimer, the Republicans will not have a two-thirds majority in the lower chamber.

“I hate to lose them both,” Porter said.

Porter’s Missouri House district includes all of Montgomery County, western and southern Warren County and the Augusta area in St. Charles County. He’s in his second term.