On behalf of the staff, board, and statewide Criminal Justice Coalition convened by Empower Missouri, I am here today to oppose the bills referenced above. I am also a lifelong resident of and long-time homeowner in the City of St. Louis.  First and foremost, there is simply no logical explanation for pursuing this type of...Read More

Date: January 29th, 2024 To: Chairman Luetkemeyer and Members of the Senate Judiciary Committee From: Mallory Rusch, Executive Director, Empower Missouri RE: Our opposition to SB 1115 Founded in 1901, Empower Missouri advocates for the well-being of Missourians through civic leadership, education, and research. As part of our work, we organize a statewide Community Justice...Read More

Date: January 18th, 2024 To: Chairman Roberts and Members, House Crime Prevention & Public Safety Committee From: Mallory Rusch, Executive Director at Empower Missouri Re: HB 1659 As the largest and oldest anti-poverty non-profit in our state, Empower Missouri is committed to improving the quality of life for all Missouri residents through advocacy. Since our...Read More

Date: January 17th, 2024 To: Chairman Luetkemeyer and Members, Senate Judiciary & Civil and Criminal Jurisprudence From: Mallory Rusch, Executive Director at Empower Missouri Re: SB 746 As the largest and oldest anti-poverty non-profit in our state, Empower Missouri is committed to improving the quality of life for all Missouri residents through advocacy. Since our...Read More

Date: January 16th, 2024 To: Senator Travis Fitzwater, Chair, and Members, Senate Transportation, Infrastructure & Public Safety From: Mallory Rusch, Executive Director at Empower Missouri Re: Our opposition to SB 808 On behalf of the staff, board, and statewide Criminal Justice Coalition convened by Empower Missouri, I am here today to oppose SB 808. I...Read More

Date: January 16th, 2024 To: Representative Haden and Members, House Committee on Healthcare Reform From: Mallory Rusch, Executive Director at Empower Missouri Re: Our support for HB 2190 I ask that you vote ‘do pass’ on HB 2190. This bill requires insurance companies to cover a full year of oral contraception, after a doctor prescribes...Read More

A new year is a time for reflection and setting intentions for the year ahead. At Empower Missouri, our team is also setting intentions for the new legislative session while reminding ourselves of the guiding principles that shape our work. Over the last few weeks, we’ve heard a lot of pessimism about the 2024 session– from...Read More

It seems hard to believe that we’re only a month away from the start of a new year, and a new legislative session. Pre-filing opens for the Missouri legislature today, a process where legislators from both chambers can begin filing their bills ahead of the 2024 session. Bills that are filed on December 1st are...Read More

Yesterday evening, Governor Parson vetoed SB 189, a criminal justice omnibus bill that included a number of provisions that Empower Missouri worked on last session.  You can read his veto statement here. This was the only bill passed during the 2023 legislative session to be vetoed by the governor.  We are deeply disappointed in this...Read More

The 2023 legislative session will end today at 6PM, so there’s only a few hours remaining for the legislature to pass any final bills before the clock runs out.  There will be several opportunities over the next week to debrief the session with Empower Missouri.  On Monday, look for a special email with our end-of-session...Read More