Weekly Perspective Archives - Empower Missouri

Everything Old is New Again: Empower Missouri to Repilot Local Councils Across Southern MO

Last year, when Empower’s staff and board began discussions on how we wanted to mark our quasquicentennial (isn’t that a fun word?!) this year, there…

What Clean Slate Means for Missouri

By now you might have already heard the news - Missouri has become the 14th state to pass Clean Slate legislation! SB 1421, an omnibus…

Federal Update: Stop the Cuts and Invest in Housing Assistance

Key housing programs are facing cuts as part of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) budget process. The House Appropriations subcommittee released…

Federal Update: The Farm Bill is the Best Chance to Stop SNAP Costs from Overwhelming Missouri’s Budget

As the Missouri legislative session ends, attention is turning back to Washington D.C., where decisions made this year could dramatically reshape how Missouri fights hunger…

2026 Legislative Session Recap

The 2026 Missouri Legislative Session ended with drama - this time in a good way. Three key policies entered the final week as almost-passed...but not…

Spotlight on the Tap In Center: Reducing Incarceration Through Warrant Resolution

This is part of an ongoing series looking at the impact of missed court appearances in Missouri. Check out part one in this series, Mass…

Tenant Voices – Steve’s Story

Steve has long wrestled with the harsh realities of being a renter in America. Diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 2000 and juvenile rheumatoid arthritis even…

The Great American Scapegoating of Immigrants

America is frequently touted as “the greatest nation in the world.” Anytime that I hear someone say that, I can’t help but think of this…

Rural Workforce Housing: If We Build It, People Will Come

Just like James Earl Jones said in the 1989 classic Field of Dreams, “People will come.” So many of us are driven by a longing…

The Stories that Shape Us

What does it mean to be a Missourian? For a long time, I wasn’t sure how to answer that question. Friends I’ve met in my…

Perspectiva semanal