In 2017, Empower Missouri’s annual conference theme was Persisting and Organizing to Win. During the week of February 10, 2020, coalitions staffed by Empower Missouri…
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE April 19th, 2021 (JEFFERSON CITY, MO)...Empower Missouri and its network of supporters in Missouri will be joining in a coordinated Week of…
Missouri has an HIV criminalization problem. Under current Missouri law, if someone knows they are living with HIV but does not disclose their status before…
On September 5th, hundreds of people gathered for the 23rd Annual United States Conference on AIDS (USCA). Themed ‘Ending the Epidemics in Their Memory’, the…
The House Committee Substitute (HCS) of House Bills 167 & 166 was debated on the House floor on Tuesday afternoon. You know from our Weekly…
More than three decades ago, my biological parents tested positive for HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus) and were diagnosed with AIDS in the late 80s and…
A diverse group of more than a dozen advocates gathered in St. Louis on June 12th to discuss strategies, tactics, and what lies ahead in…
On October 26, the Missouri HIV Justice Coalition met for its final strategic planning meeting of the year. Just over half of the group was…
On Tuesday, March 3, HB 1691 was heard in the Judiciary Committee. Sponsored by Rep. Holly Rehder, this bill would modernize our outdated and harmful…
I really couldn’t have imagined the hearing going any better. The room was packed, standing-room-only in the gallery, nearly every one of the 19 (!)…
If you follow our work, you are likely aware that one of our policy priorities this year is to modernize Missouri’s outdated, medically inaccurate, stigmatizing…
(JEFFERSON CITY, MO)…After decades on the books, Missouri lawmakers have finally passed legislation to update the criminal codes dealing with the prosecution of people living…
(Jefferson City, MO)..... Missouri lawmakers, health professionals and long-term HIV survivors are calling for the state legislature to change Missouri’s HIV criminalization laws which they…
Michael Johnson was released from Booneville Correctional Center on Tuesday, July 9th, 25 years before his expected release date. “Leaving prison is such a great…
Imagine your next door neighbor calls to invite you to a dinner party. The date and time work for you, and you enjoy your neighbor’s…
Media Advisory November 25, 2020 What: On World AIDS Day, a press conference will be held with Senator-elect Holly Rehder (R-Sikeston), Senator-Elect Greg Razer (D-Kansas…
It’s the third week of May, which means that you’re hearing crickets from hundreds of lobbyists and advocates across the state who are taking a…
On June 18th, the Elizabeth Taylor AIDS Foundation (ETAF) launched their national HIV is Not a Crime initiative, focused on modernizing HIV-specific laws across the…
(JEFFERSON CITY, MO)...Empower Missouri is celebrating the passage of legislation that will expand access to a time-sensitive HIV medication. Senator Greg Razer (D-Jackson County, Senate…
We have come a long way in what we know about HIV treatment and transmission since the HIV/AIDS epidemic began 40 years ago. In terms…
For Immediate Release December 2, 2020 (JEFFERSON CITY, MO…) On World AIDS Day, 2020, a bipartisan group of Missouri legislators held a 1 p.m. virtual…
Last Saturday, June 11th, Empower Missouri supporters, coalition members, staff and other guests gathered at the Piper Palm House in St. Louis to honor our…
Empower Missouri has fought for all Missourians to have basic human needs and equal justice since 1901, and there have undoubtedly been many challenges to…
During the age of COVID-19, many of us are doing our duty to protect ourselves and others. We stay home, wash our hands, and wear…
Each year as Legislative Session begins, there is a lot of “crystal ball gazing” in our state capital. The rumors come fast and furious, and…
Next Monday, health-related committees in both the Missouri House & Senate will hear testimony on nearly identical bills to significantly modernize our state’s HIV criminalization…
Reformed theologian and ethicist Reinhold Niebuhr (born in Wright City, MO in 1892) began sharing a prayer in 1934 that was published in this form…
Is it windy in your neighborhood today? If so, it could just be the speed with which the legislative windmill blades are turning in Jefferson…
The 2020 Legislative Session came to an end on May 15th, amidst the special challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite having floor debate time reduced…