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 address throughout those decades. But 2020 has been an historic year in which wave upon wave of crisis arrived, placing stress on governmental, community, household, and our staff and volunteer...Read More

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 Holly Rehder, this bill would modernize our outdated and harmful HIV-specific statutes that criminalize people for acts that pose no risk of HIV transmission. The hearing was scheduled for 4 p.m. or “upon adjournment” of floor debate. With the floor...Read More

(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survivors are calling for the state legislature to change Missouri’s HIV criminalization laws which they believe are outdated and medically inaccurate.  On March 3, the House Judiciary Committee held a hearing on House Bill (HB) 1691 to address the state’s criminal codes dealing with the...Read More

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 company, so you say yes. As the neighbor ends the call, she says, “Oh, I’m going to seat Jack next to you. He has coronavirus. Is that okay?” What would...Read More

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 various pundits try to anticipate how things will turn out when the General Assembly adjourns in May, even before a single bill is heard before a committee. There’s a temptation...Read More

HIV criminalization is a complex issue. In the time when many of the laws concerning HIV were first established, there was widespread public fear about HIV and AIDS along with significant bias against members of the LGBTQ community who were severely impacted by the epidemic. The combination of that fear and prejudice fueled a lack...Read More

On Wednesday, December 11, Representatives Holly Rehder (R-Sikeston) and Tracy McCreery (D-St. Louis) held a press conference to discuss legislation they had filed to modernize HIV-specific criminal codes in Missouri for the third year in a row. Senator Shalonn “Kiki” Curls (D-Kansas City), who will sponsor this legislation on the Senate side, prepared comments as...Read More

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEDecember 13, 2019Contact: Conner Kerrigan, Communications Director815-263-1261 (cell)[email protected] JEFFERSON CITY, MO…On December 11th, 2019, Representatives Holly Rehder (R – Sikeston) and Tracy McCreery (D – St. Louis) filed HBs 1691 & 1692, respectively. Both bills aim to modernize Missouri’s outdated and medically inaccurate criminal statutes concerning HIV.  Currently, Missouri and more than 30...Read More

The time is right in the Show Me State for even more positive changes to our justice system and Empower Missouri, along with the advocates who are a part of the Smart Sentencing Coalition, will be right there pushing it along.Read More

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 feeling,” he told a BuzzFeed News reporter. Mr. Johnson was accused and convicted of failing to disclose his positive HIV status with a number of his sexual partners, leading to...Read More