Date: March 26, 2025 To: Representative Parker, Chairman, and Members of the House Judiciary Committee From: Gwen Smith-Moore, Criminal Justice Policy Manager, Empower Missouri Re: Support for HB 989 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....Lee mas

Date: February 26, 2025 To: Senator Schroer, Chairman, and Members of the Senate Committee on Judiciary and Civil and Criminal Jurisprudence From: Gwen Smith-Moore, Criminal Justice Policy Manager, Empower Missouri Re: Support for SB 353 and SB 434 As the largest and oldest anti-poverty non-profit in our state, Empower Missouri is committed to improving the...Lee mas

Hulu’s Little Fires Everywhere, based on a book by the same name written by Celeste Ng, does a wonderful job looking at systematic issues our society faces. One scene finds the two main characters (one black and one white) discussing choices. At one point Kerry Washington’s character tells Reese Witherspoon’s character, “You didn’t make good...Lee mas