Date: January 31st, 2024To: Representative Rudy Viet, Chairman, and Members of the House Committee on Corrections and Public InstitutionsFrom: Gwen Smith, Criminal Justice Policy Manager, Empower MissouriRE: Support for HB 1777 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...Lee mas

Date: January 29th, 2024 To: Sen. Leutkemeyer, Chairman, and Members of the Senate Judiciary and Civil and  Criminal Jurisprudence Committee From: Gwen Smith, Criminal Justice Policy Manager, Empower Missouri RE: Support for SB 1098 Founded in 1901, Empower Missouri advocates for the well-being of Missourians through civic leadership, education, and research. As part of our...Lee mas

Date: January 23, 2024 To: Chairman Hovis and Members, House Pensions Committee From: Gwen Smith, Criminal Justice Policy Manager, Empower Missouri RE: HJR 92 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 inception, Empower Missouri...Lee mas

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...Lee mas

More than 17 million Americans age 65+ live below 200% of the federal poverty level, leading to struggles with health costs, housing, adequate nutrition, access to transportation, and so much more. In Missouri, there are currently 1.1 million citizens over the age of 60, and older adults could outnumber minors for the first time by...Lee mas

In May the Missouri General Assembly will adjourn, after what we hope will be a productive session. Mark your calendar now to join us as we recap everything that happened in anti-poverty legislation over the last few months. We’ll discuss the highs and lows of what got done, where we made progress but didn’t quite...Lee mas

Missouri is experiencing an affordable housing crisis and the result of that is housing instability and homelessness for our neighbors. How did we get here and what can be done? Marqueia Watson, Executive Director of the Greater Kansas City Coalition to End Homelessness will join us to discuss the legacy of racist housing policies and...Lee mas

There are many important skills that advocates work to develop and master to increase their effectiveness. The process of writing and delivering testimony is one of those skills. This session will prepare advocates for persuasive testimony, with tips and tricks to help your information stand out. We will cover the committee process, messaging, and how...Lee mas

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...Lee mas

Some of my earliest memories with my sister as we were growing up were visiting my mother at work at what used to be Municipal Ambulance Services Trust (MAST) in Kansas City. I remember being in the dispatch room where everyone who answered 911 sat in front of several monitors with highlighted maps and spreadsheets...Lee mas