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The move delays passage of the congressional map indefinitely. Rep. , R-St. Charles County, cast doubt on a conference committee, saying senators had vowed to filibuster any attempt at meeting with their House colleagues on the map.

“I’ve already been told ... that if this goes back, they will filibuster the motion to take it to conference,� he said during debate on Tuesday, urging House lawmakers to send the Senate-approved map to Gov. Mike Parson for his signature.

Schroer ultimately was one of only 19 House members to vote against the conference committee. A bipartisan group of 115 lawmakers voted for the conference, and 12 Democrats abstained.

“Our best approach for the House today is to continue this discussion and go and try to come up with the best possible map,� said Rep. , R-Imperial, chairman of the House Redistricting Committee.

The debate became heated when Schroer inquired of House Speaker Pro Tem , R-O’Fallon, who is running against Schroer in the GOP primary for the 2nd Senate District on Aug. 2.

Schroer asked why Wiemann called a map Schroer proposed earlier this year “illegal.� That prompted Wiemann to question why Schroer was asking about this on Tuesday.

“Why are we having this argument right now?� Wiemann asked. “You want to try to prove that you’re a big shot?

“The map that the Senate sent us is not compact,� Wiemann said.

Tuesday’s vote for a conference committee followed Senate passage last week of a so-called “6-2� map dramatically different than the outline the House narrowly approved in January.

The Senate product resulted from overnight negotiations into Thursday morning that sought to appease hard-line members of the GOP caucus. Those members had pushed for changes to district boundaries in St. Charles County.

At least one of the hard-line senators vowed to fight against the House move.

“I would not be in favor of sending that bill to conference. We painstakingly worked on changing the House map … for two months,� said Sen. , R-Warrensburg.

One of the largest alterations from the House plan has to do with the shape of the 2nd Congressional District, held by U.S. Rep. , R-Ballwin.

Under the House plan, the 2nd would include both St. Charles and St. Louis counties.

But the Senate plan stretches the 2nd all the way from St. Louis County as far south as Iron County, in southeast Missouri. St. Francois and Washington counties, as well as portions of Franklin and St. Charles counties, would also be placed in the 2nd.

“To me District 2 looks like gerrymandering on steroids,� said Rep. , R-Potosi, in Washington County.

The Senate-approved map places about four-fifths of St. Charles County’s population in the 3rd Congressional District, held by U.S. Rep. , R-St. Elizabeth.

St. Charles County lawmakers want as much of St. Charles County as possible within one congressional district.

Rep. , R-St. Peters, said Monday the new 3rd was “the best deal that St. Charles could get� adding that “I would be prepared to vote for that map.�

But Christofanelli’s view wasn’t shared universally among House lawmakers.

“I think that there were a number of people that had other interests that weren’t as excited about it (the map),� he said.

The Senate map, like the House version, gives Republicans six likely seats, allotting Democrats two seats — in Kansas City and St. Louis, respectively.

Rep. , D-Lakeshire, said a fair map would include three Democratic seats and five Republican districts, based on recent statewide election results.

“How could you come to any other conclusion than a 5-3 map if you really want fair elections?� Burton asked.

Kurt Erickson of the Post-Dispatch contributed to this report.

Updated at 4:50 p.m. Tuesday, March 29.