Empower Missouri

Criminal Justice Coalition (CJC): The CJC's largest accomplishment for the year was a public education campaign about Clean Slate, or automated records expungement. We built a coalition of over 50 organizations advocating for the issue, educated dozens of legislators about the collateral consequences of criminal records, and mobilized over 100 individuals to submit testimony in support of the bill. Affordable Housing Coalition (AHC): The AHC piloted a tenant organizing program in Southwest Missouri, partnering with a group of local activists to take their work to the next level. The AHC has developed a list of hundreds of potential members through tabling and community outreach efforts, and they are representing tenants at many housing-related discussions in Missouri's third-largest city. Food Security Coalition (FSC): The FSC spearheaded a campaign to pass a transitional benefits program in Missouri, preventing thousands of working-class Missouri families from stagnating in their careers in order to maintain public benefits. A bill to this effect was signed into law by the Governor over the summer.