Empower Missouri is renewing the tradition of recognizing the hard work of outstanding anti-poverty advocates across the state at our annual Advocacy Awards Brunch, to be held on Saturday, June 11th, at 11AM at the Piper Palm House in St. Louis. (The 2023 brunch will be held in Kansas City.) We have an exciting group of awardees...Read More

Empower Missouri is renewing the tradition of recognizing the hard work of outstanding anti-poverty advocates across the state at our annual Advocacy Awards Brunch, to be held on Saturday, June 11th, at 11AM at the Piper Palm House in St. Louis. (The 2023 brunch will be held in Kansas City.) We have an exciting group of awardees...Read More

Empower Missouri is renewing the tradition of recognizing the hard work of outstanding anti-poverty advocates across the state at our annual Advocacy Awards Brunch, to be held on Saturday, June 11th, at 11AM at the Piper Palm House in St. Louis. (The 2023 brunch will be held in Kansas City.) We have an exciting group of awardees...Read More

Empower Missouri is renewing the tradition of recognizing the hard work of outstanding anti-poverty advocates across the state at our annual Advocacy Awards Brunch, to be held on Saturday, June 11th, at 11AM at the Piper Palm House in St. Louis. (The 2023 brunch will be held in Kansas City.) We have an exciting group of awardees...Read More

Homelessness and poverty are not crimes. However, in many communities across Missouri, it is treated like one. Police involvement in the form of ‘camp sweeps’ is often the method used to move people who are houseless out of the areas they have made their home. Springfield, Missouri can be used as a case study for...Read More

In order to afford a modest, two-bedroom apartment at fair market rent in Missouri, full-time workers need to earn $16.66 per hour. This is Missouri’s 2021 Housing Wage, revealed in a national report released today. The report, Out of Reach, was jointly released by the National Low Income Housing Coalition (NLIHC), a research and advocacy...Read More

Governor Parson’s decision to end the $300 federal unemployment assistance on June 12th, 2021 is an affront to Missouri workers and could prove harmful to the state’s economy. Ending the assistance, which has kept thousands of Missouri families afloat, would punish Missouri families who are already suffering through an economic downturn.  In Missouri, an estimated...Read More

(JEFFERSON CITY, MO)…After decades on the books, Missouri lawmakers have finally passed legislation to update the criminal codes dealing with the prosecution of people living with HIV.  The legislation, introduced by Senator Holly Rehder (R-27) and Representative Phil Christofanelli (R-105), rewrites Missouri’s HIV-specific criminal laws. The bill would lower the penalties under the HIV exposure...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