Under new presidential national convention rules adopted by both Republican and Democratic parties, any state that sets a primary election before March 6 will lose half of their delegates to the national party convention where a presidential candidate is nominated.
The purpose of the rule is to preserve early primary campaigns in the four traditional early-voting states. Those states are Iowa, New Hampshire, Nevada and South Carolina.
Those states traditionally have been the crucible where the front-running candidate is determined.
But many other states, including Missouri, wanted to get in on the early voting action in order to spread their influence.
Several years ago, Missouri passed a law setting its presidential primary on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in February.
When the threat of losing representation in national conventions arose last year, legislation was approved in Missouri that would have delayed the primary. But the bill was vetoed by Democratic Gov. Jay Nixon.
Nixon said he vetoed the bill because it also contained provisions removing his authority to fill vacancies when a statewide elected official resigned.