Date: January 27, 2025 To: Chairman Schroer and Members, Judiciary and Civil and Criminal Jurisprudence Committee From: Mallory Rusch, Executive Director, Empower Missouri Re: SB 19 As the largest and oldest anti-poverty advocacy agency in our state, Empower Missouri is committed to improving the quality of life for all Missouri residents through advocacy. Since our...Read More

Date: January 27, 2025 To: Chairman Fitzwater and Members, Senate Transportation, Infrastructure and Public Safety Committee From: Mallory Rusch, Executive Director, Empower Missouri Re: SB 72 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,...Read More

Date: January 22, 2025 To: Chairman Myers and Members of the House Committee on Crime and Public Safety From: Mallory Rusch, Executive Director, Empower Missouri Re: Our opposition to HB 495 On behalf of the staff, board, and statewide Criminal Justice Coalition convened by Empower Missouri, I am here today to oppose HB 495. I...Read More

Date: January 21, 2025 To: Chairman Black and Members, Senate Local Government, Elections and Pensions From: Mallory Rusch, Executive Director, Empower Missouri Re: Our support for SB 50 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...Read More

Below is a quick summary of key issues for Empower Missouri in the upcoming legislative session. If you would like to learn more, please register for our Legislative Preview Webinar on December 17th from 12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m.  I am quickly approaching my first legislative session as Chief of Policy Staff with Empower Missouri,...Read More

Almost every public institution, and many in the private sector, contains some form of built-in accountability system. In our public school districts, local residents are elected to serve on the school board and ensure that the community’s interests are being represented in the school system. Hospitals, nursing homes, banks, museums, and zoos are other examples...Read More

With the November election less than one month away, it seems likely that you’re being inundated with news and opinions related to upcoming federal, state, and local elections. In Missouri, voters will have the opportunity to weigh in on five amendments to Missouri’s constitution. You have likely seen three of these amendments—Amendment 2 (legalizing sports...Read More

This November, our Anti-Poverty Advocates Summit will feature Andrea Elliott, author of the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel Invisible Child, as one of our keynote speakers. Our staff has been reading (or re-reading) Invisible Child in preparation, and we are excited to delve deeper into the book and the implications of Dasani’s story. Today our Communications Manager,...Read More

As we recently shared, Empower Missouri has just begun a new phase in our growth, the start of our next strategic plan. Our team is especially excited about our plans to recommit and deeply invest in our work of supporting nonprofit organizations throughout the state in building their capacity to advocate for policy change that...Read More

On Friday, the 2024 Missouri Legislative Session closed with little fanfare, a fitting end to a session where little work was accomplished. The legislation passed a grand total of 28 bills (excluding the 18 appropriation bills), a total significantly lower than last year’s previous record low of 41 bills and even lower than the shutdown-plagued...Read More