Date: February 26, 2024To: Sen. Tony Leutkemeyer, and members of the Senate Judiciary and Civil and Criminal Jurisprudence CommitteeFrom: Gwen Smith, Criminal Justice Policy Manager, Empower MissouriRe: Our support for SB 1370 Founded in 1901, Empower Missouri advocates for the well-being of Missourians through civic leadership, education, and research. As part of our work, we...Read More
Date: February 12th, 2024To: Chairman Haden and Members, House Healthcare ReformFrom: Mallory Rusch, Executive Director, Empower MissouriRe: Our support for HB 1918 and HB 2626 Empower Missouri has spent more than 120 years fighting poverty in Missouri. Today, we come to present testimony on a bill which specifically targets our neighbors with the lowest incomes....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
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
Matthew Desmond describes eviction as both a cause and a condition of poverty. What does that mean, and how should Missouri respond? First, it is important to understand that there are different forms of legal eviction in our state. If a tenant damages the property, breaks the law, or violates the lease (say, by having...Read More
In 2018, Missourians resoundingly passed a phased increase to the minimum wage to $12/hour over five years. When the bill passed, it was estimated that 600,000 Missourians would benefit from an increase in their wages, meaning that around 15 percent of Missouri adults were making the minimum wage. The plan called for wages to rise...Read More
Beginning in January 2022, Empower Missouri is proud to announce that we’ll be joining The Right Time Initiative as a community mobilization partner. The Right Time is a multi-year initiative, funded by Missouri Foundation for Health, that is based on the simple belief that everyone should have the opportunity to pursue the future they want,...Read More
The Missouri legislature will return to Jefferson City at noon today for a special session called yesterday by Governor Mike Parson. Here’s a quick rundown of what you need to know: Why did the Governor call a special session? During the regular session, the legislature failed to reauthorize something called the Federal Reimbursement Allowance, better...Read More
Empower Missouri Advocacy Family, Midday last Friday, Gov. Mike Parson declared a State of Emergency as the first cases of COVID-19 were diagnosed in Missouri. Life has significantly changed for most of us during the past eight days. Many are working from home, with the pleasure and challenges of having children home with us. Some...Read More
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