Empower Missouri’s 125 Years Fighting Poverty

Empower Missouri’s 125 Years Fighting Poverty

Welcome to Under the Dome, an Empower Missouri update on Jefferson City focused on advancing evidence-based public policy to end poverty. Advocacy Director Sarah Owsley introduces longtime members who share memories from past summits and the organization’s work on affordable housing, food security, criminal legal reform, and more. As Empower Missouri marks its 125th anniversary, the episode highlights the upcoming Anti‑Poverty Advocates Summit on October 1–2 in Columbia, Missouri, and recalls historic wins like school breakfast expansion and the Missouri Housing Trust Fund. Learn how to get involved, register at empowermissouri.org, and explore scholarship support to attend the summit.

Unlocking ID Access: Missouri’s Barriers and Solutions

In this episode of Under the Dome, Sarah Owsley and John Stamm from the Missouri ID Access Coalition discuss the coalition's work to remove barriers to obtaining state IDs. They cover cost, administrative hurdles, rural access issues, and campaigns like free IDs for voting, accurate IDs for name/gender changes, and a homebound ID initiative. Listeners will learn how lack of ID affects housing, employment, voting, and other essential services, and how the coalition is pushing policy, training, and public-facing solutions to make ID access more equitable across Missouri.

All We Do Is Win: Food Is Medicine, Clean Slate, Land Banks, & Voting Rights Restoration

In this episode, Empower Missouri’s advocacy team recaps the last week of the legislative session, highlighting key anti-poverty wins and next steps. Topics include the Food Is Medicine language in the health omnibus, a slimmed-down Clean Slate automated expungement win, voting rights restoration for most people on probation or parole, and new land bank provisions to support affordable housing. The team reflects on iterative policymaking, coalition efforts, and what to expect next for implementation and future sessions.

SNAP Showdown: Bipartisan Pushback in Jefferson City

Empower Missouri’s update from Jefferson City covers the end-of-session slowdown, a contentious Senate hearing on a House bill affecting SNAP, and testimony from food security experts warning the measure could conflict with federal law and risk federal funding. Advocates and bipartisan senators raised fiscal and implementation concerns while coalition partners testified against the bill. The episode also includes lighter staff conversation about Kansas City’s famed subterranean “cheese caves,” offering a human moment amid policy work on housing, criminal legal reform, wages, healthcare, childcare, and voting rights as part of Empower Missouri’s long-standing anti-poverty agenda.

Missouri's Tax Fight: Governor’s Sales Tax Plan Headed to Voters

Empower Missouri’s Under the Dome gives a concise update from Jefferson City focused on the organization’s anti-poverty priorities. Hosts discuss the governor’s proposed sales tax changes being sent to voters, looming budget shortfalls, and the debate over education funding and the lottery. The episode highlights the tension in the final weeks of the legislative session, the possible ballot campaign that will follow, and urges listeners to stay connected to coalitions working on housing, wages, health care, and other solutions to end poverty.