It’s the third week of May, which means that you’re hearing crickets from hundreds of lobbyists and advocates across the state who are taking a much deserved break after working many late nights over the last three weeks as the Missouri legislature hurtled towards its inevitable close at 6PM last Friday night. Due to widening...Read More

It is the last week of Missouri’s legislative session, which brings a flurry of activity to Jefferson City, so our entire team is heading to the capitol to be nearby for final discussions and debates on key pieces of legislation. We’re keeping a very close eye on conference committee discussions on two key pieces of...Read More

(JEFFERSON CITY, MO)…Empower Missouri is celebrating the passage of legislation that will expand access to a time-sensitive HIV medication. Senator Greg Razer (D-Jackson County, Senate District 07) and Representative Phil Christofanelli (R-St. Peters, House District 105) introduced the legislation in their respective chambers, supported by Empower Missouri & the Missouri HIV Justice Coalition. The legislation...Read More

The legislature is taking their annual Spring Break this week, which is widely considered to be “halftime” of the legislative session. We’ve spent the last few days reviewing our progress on all of our priority legislation this year and preparing for the sprint to the finish line when session begins next week.  Here’s a quick...Read More

We have come a long way in what we know about HIV treatment and transmission since the HIV/AIDS epidemic began 40 years ago. In terms of health, an HIV diagnosis today largely means continuing to lead an ordinary life with regular treatment and monitoring. With one pill a day, we can now reduce the level...Read More

Next Monday, health-related committees in both the Missouri House & Senate will hear testimony on nearly identical bills to significantly modernize our state’s HIV criminalization laws.  For the last three years, Empower Missouri has been home to the Missouri HIV Justice Coalition. This coalition is led by People Living with HIV (PLHIV), their service providers,...Read More

As the 2021 Legislative session gets underway, we must not forget what happened in 2020: Let us not forget how the killing of George Floyd brought to light the fight for policing reform. Let us not forget how COVID ran through our prisons, which holds many individuals who could successfully and safely be released.  Let...Read More

Missouri lawmakers returned to the Capitol in Jefferson City on January 6th with challenges posed by an ongoing pandemic. The Missouri legislative session began at noon last Wednesday with a new General Assembly; eleven newly-elected Senators and six returning Senators were sworn into office. In the house, 161 Representatives took the oath of office. With...Read More

More than three decades ago, my biological parents tested positive for HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus) and were diagnosed with AIDS in the late 80s and mid-90s. My dad’s death came first in 1989, followed by my mom’s death in 1994, just two years before breakthroughs toward truly effective treatments were achieved in 1996. Every day,...Read More

Empower Missouri has fought for all Missourians to have basic human needs and equal justice since 1901, and there have undoubtedly been many challenges to address throughout those decades. But 2020 has been an historic year in which wave upon wave of crisis arrived, placing stress on governmental, community, household, and our staff and volunteer...Read More