Date:    February 25, 2026 To:       Chairman Schroer and Members, Senate Judiciary Committee From:   Jerika White, Criminal Justice Policy Manager, Empower Missouri RE:      SB 1509 As the largest and oldest anti-poverty non-profit in our state, Empower Missouri is committed to improving the quality of life for all Missourians through...Lee mas

Date: February 18, 2026 To: Chairman Schroer and Members, Senate Judiciary Committee From: Mallory Rusch, Executive Director, Empower Missouri As the largest and oldest anti-poverty advocacy organization in our state, Empower Missouri is committed to improving the quality of life for all Missouri residents through advocacy. Since our inception, Empower Missouri has focused on the...Lee mas

Date: February 18, 2026 To: Chairman Schroer and Members, Senate Judiciary Committee From: Mallory Rusch, Executive Director  Re: SB 854 and SB 1494 We are thrilled to offer testimony in support of SB 854 and SB 1494. Our nation’s criminal justice system was conceived and implemented long before the internet became an integral component of...Lee mas

February 2, 2026 To: Chairman Don Mayhew and Members of the Corrections and Public Institutions Committee From: Gwen Smith-Moore, Empower Missouri  RE: Support for HB 2592 & HB 2834 and Restoring Voting Rights  Empower Missouri has been committed for over 120 years to improving the quality of life for all Missouri residents through advocacy and...Lee mas

The Charles Ellwood Graduate Fellowship program, named for one of Empower Missouri’s founders and earliest Presidents, will offer 1-2 recent graduates a fully immersive, year-long, paid fellowship to gain valuable experience in policy research, community education and organizing, and advocacy communications.  KEY RESPONSIBILITIES Research & Policy Support Conduct research on nonprofit organizations, legislative issues, and...Lee mas

Date: January 28, 2026 To: Chairwoman Parker and Members, House Judiciary Committee From: Gwen Smith-Moore, Criminal Justice Policy Manager, Empower Missouri RE: Opposition to HB 2256 As the largest and oldest anti-poverty advocacy organization in our state, Empower Missouri is committed to improving the quality of life for all Missouri residents through advocacy. Since our...Lee mas

Date: January 28, 2026 To: Chairwoman Parker and Members, House Judiciary Committee From: Gwen Smith-Moore, Criminal Justice Policy Manager, Empower Missouri RE: Opposition to HB 2637 As the largest and oldest anti-poverty advocacy organization in our state, Empower Missouri is committed to improving the quality of life for all Missouri residents through advocacy. Since our...Lee mas

Date: January 27, 2026 To: Representative Don Mayhew and the Members of the House Corrections and Public Institutions Committee  From: Jerika White, Empower Missouri RE: Support for HB 2831 and HB 2695 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 27, 2025 To: Chairwoman Gallick and Members, House Economic Development From: Mallory Rusch, Executive Director  Re: HB 2747 + HB 2047 We are thrilled to offer testimony in support of HB 2747 + HB 2047, which we’ll be referencing as Clean Slate legislation. Our nation’s criminal justice system was conceived and implemented long...Lee mas

Facts and rhetoric are frequently misaligned when it comes to anti-poverty policy. This is especially true in the criminal justice arena, where public perceptions of crime have always been more important to policymakers than what the evidence shows. This translates to policies that are fear-based, rather than evidence-based: longer prison sentences for more offenses, more...Lee mas