Empowering You December 2018 Newsetter

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DECEMBER 2018 NEWSLETTER

December 2018
NEWSLETTER
Our Work
Preview of the Newly Elected General Assembly And
2019 Legislative Session
By Jeanette Mott Oxford, Executive Director p 3-5
Remember This December, Hunger Is Solvable p 11
Events
Housing Empowers Conference Wrap
By Chris Gunther p 7-8
Moving the Needle from Being “Tough on Crime” To
Being “Smart on Crime” in Missouri
By Julia Mosebach, Empower Missouri Intern,
Washington University p 6, 8
Missouri HIV Justice Coalition and Griot Museum
Partner to Educate, Celebrate HIV Justice Action
By Molly Pearson, Empower Missouri Intern p 9
Sign-up to attend Start-up Meeting for new statewide
Affordable Housing Coalition p 10
In Memoriam: Fr. Bill Hutchison, S.J. –
A Shining Star of Empower Missouri p10
S E C T I O N S
12 Calendar
12 Staff Contacts
Donate Now!
Images: Happy Holidays from Empower Missouri, Staff
Pic from Housing Empowers Annual Conference, Rep.
Holly Rehder and advocates at press conference.
Newsletter assembled by Ashley Quinn

DECEMBER 2018 NEWSLETTER
PREVIEW OF THE NEWLY ELECTED
GENERAL ASSEMBLY AND
2019 LEGISLATIVE
SESSION
By Jeanette Mott Oxford, Executive Director
If I were to select one word to describe the Missouri General Assembly that will be sworn in on Wednesday,
January 9, 2019, I would select “New.” Almost all senators and representatives in elected leadership are
newly in their positions, and there are forty freshman members of the House of Representatives and nine first
term senators. With this newness comes opportunity, but also a challenge – and these are different sides of
the same coin. How can we quickly get to know and build relationships with such a large number of elected
officials so as to best assess the opportunities for progress toward justice that each may bring?
Let us start with some of the basics from the outcomes of the November 6 election and Majority and Minority
Caucus meetings since that time. First, the partisan breakdown in both the Senate and House of
Representatives remained the same, with Republicans still holding supermajorities in both. No seats changed
party hands in the Senate, and Republicans hold a 24-10 advantage there. In the House, Democrats claimed
three seats from Republicans, but the GOP also took three other seats from Democrats. This leaves a 116-47
split in favor of the GOP.
Here are the districts where the party holding the seat will change:
District 10 (St. Joseph) – Democrat Pat Conway was termed out; Republican Bill Falkner won over the
Democratic candidate
District 14 (Kansas City) – Incumbent Republican Kevin Corlew was defeated by Democrat Matt Sain
District 35 (Lee’s Summit) – Republican Gary Cross was termed out; Democrat Keri Ingle defeated the
Republican candidate
District 70 (north St. Louis County) – Incumbent Republican Mark Matthiesen was defeated by Democratic
challenger Paula Brown
District 97 (Jefferson County) – first term Democrat Mike Revis, elected in a special election in 2018 to fill
a vacancy, was defeated by Republican Mary Elizabeth Coleman
District 118 (Jefferson County) – Democrat Ben Harris was termed out; Republican Mike McGirl was the
victor
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DECEMBER 2018 NEWSLETTER
Cont’d from p 4
Last year, we were thankful that Senate President Pro Tem Ron Richard and Majority Floor Leader Mike
Kehoe heard our plea to block debate of bills that would have increased hunger in our state by making it
exponentially harder to sustain eligibility for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP,
commonly known as food stamps). In 2019, we will have new senators in most of the Majority Caucus
leadership positions and in some of the Minority Caucus positions as well:
President Pro Tem: Sen. Dave Schatz
Majority Floor Leader: Sen. Caleb Rowden
Assistant Majority Floor Leader: Sen. Wayne Wallingford
Majority Caucus Chair: (continuing in this role) Sen. Dan Hegeman
Majority Whip: Sen. Sandy Crawford
Minority Floor Leader: (continuing in this role) Sen. Gina Walsh
Minority Assistant Floor Leader: (continuing in this role) Sen. Shalonn Curls
Minority Caucus Chair: Sen. Karla May
Minority Whip: (continuing in this role) Sen. Jamilah Nasheed
In the House of Representatives, almost all elected leaders on both sides of the aisle are new to their
positions:
Speaker: Rep. Elijah Haahr
Speaker Pro Tem: Rep. John Wiemann
Majority Floor Leader: (continuing in this role) Rep. Rob Vescovo
Majority Whip: (continuing in this role) Rep. Steve Lynch
Caucus Chair: Sonya Anderson
Caucus Secretary: Rep. Chris Dinkins
Minority Floor Leader: Rep. Crystal Quade
Assistant Minority Floor Leader: Rep. DaRon McGee
Minority Whip: Rep. Brandon Ellington
Those of you from Greene County/Springfield should take note that both the Speaker of the House and the
Minority Floor Leader are from your area. Your voices can be very important in reaching them regarding
issues of importance.
What topics are apt to be priorities in the 2019 Legislative Session? Here are some of the indications we have
so far:
Gov. Parson has said in many different settings that his priority is jobs, infrastructure, and workforce
development. Hopefully this economic development focus will lead to a bi-partisan effort to connect
people to education and training that leads to living wage employment opportunities.
Passing the annual budget is the #1 task for the General Assembly in every Legislative Session. Recently
revenue has been below projections, but currently withholdings from budgeted amounts are not projected,
according to a recent radio interview with State Budget Director Dan Haug. Past legislatures have
Cont’d on p 5
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DECEMBER 2018 NEWSLETTER
Cont’d from p 4
structured Missouri to fail through a revenue system that is outdated, unfair, and inadequate. We must do
what we can to help this General Assembly face our budget realities and have the courage to make
needed changes.
Sentencing reform appears to be emerging as an issue where both sides may find ways to work together.
Announcements in the federal government in support of sentencing reform are being echoed in Jefferson
City, with many legislators and executive branch employees pondering that “if Texas can close prisons
without harming public safety, surely we can too.”
With the passage of the CLEAN package of good government reforms, including non-partisan
redistricting, much discussion has been sparked regarding the best way to draw new district lines after
each U.S. Census. The majority party seems interested in offering a different way carry out the
redistricting process and would need to do so as a constitutional amendment, given that CLEAN
(Amendment 1) is now in the Missouri constitution.
We will need to be vigilant to protect the minimum wage increase, passed by about 62% of Missouri voters.
In 2015, the General Assembly banned increases in the minimum wage, approved by local government
bodies in St. Louis and Kansas City. Hopefully the size of the Proposition B victory margin will give legislators
pause before going down that path again.
We rejoice at reports that the General Assembly is unlikely to make so-called Right to Work, the labor union
weakening law that was overturned at the ballot box in August, a priority in 2019. Still some attacks on
workers’ rights and the ability to bargain collectively are apt to be mounted in 2019, since this has been true
in every Legislative Session for more than a decade.
Empower Missouri’s 2019 Priorities
Empower Missouri’s Board of Directors has selected these priorities for 2019, and they were affirmed by
members gathered for our annual business meeting on November 17 in Columbia:
Criminal Justice Reform: Reducing the number of persons incarcerated in Missouri while protecting
public safety by 1) allowing judicial discretion through risk assessment instead of mandatory minimum
sentencing; 2) offering prisoners over 55 a chance for a parole hearing; and 3) modernizing Missouri’s
outdated and medically inaccurate HIV policies.
Protecting and Strengthening Our Safety Net: Seeing that every Missourian has access to emergency
income and/or services needed in times of economic stress by 1) building a stronger base of grassroots
advocates statewide in order to have a positive impact on safety net issues (nutrition programs like SNAP,
WIC, TEFAP, and school meals; Temporary Assistance for Needy Families; Medicaid – including access to
mental health care for those who are impoverished; Section 8 and other subsidized housing programs; etc.);
and 2) participating in advocacy that protects or strengthens delivery of these safety net programs.
Our success on these key issues depends on informed and active citizens like you. We look forward to
seeing you at our chapter forums, advocacy days, and other public events in 2019!
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DECEMBER 2018 NEWSLETTER
Moving the Needle from Being “Tough on
Crime” To Being “Smart on Crime” in Missouri
By Julia Mosebach, Empower Missouri Intern, Washington University
On November 27, 2018, the Smart
Sentencing Coalition hosted a
conversation at Washington
University about the importance of
being smart on crime. Panelists
included Mike Milton of The Bail
Project, Samantha Stangl of the
Clark-Fox Family Foundation,
Jeremy Cady of Americans for
Prosperity, and Rep.
Shamed Dogan, a
current member of
the Missouri General
Assembly. There
were several
attendees from many
different
backgrounds, which
was appropriate
given the wide array
of viewpoints on the
panel. Those in
attendance left with
some ideas for how
to approach
sentencing reform in
Missouri.
Mike Milton currently
oversees much of
the work done at the
St. Louis chapter of
The Bail Project, a
non-profit organization that raises
money for a fund to bail people out
of jail. When describing his work
with The Bail Project, he said, “I’m
not free until everybody is free.”
Milton is also co-chair of Faith for
Justice, a coalition of Christian
activists who support black
liberation movements. Finally, he is
a leader in Action St. Louis, a black
-led organization that is committed
to building radical political power in
St. Louis. When describing his
work throughout these
organizations, Milton noted that he
does not think cash bail is
necessary, and he is set on
proving that.
From L to R: Christine Woody, Mike Milton, Samantha Stangl, Jeremy
Cady, Representative Shamed Dogan
Samantha Stangl is the Programs
Manager at the Clark Fox Family
Foundation, an organization that
has been increasingly involved in
educating people about the harms
of mass incarceration. While
describing her work and that of
others, she remained hopeful. In
reference to criminal justice reform
and being smarter on crime instead
of tougher on crime, Stangl noted
that “80% of people in the country
want this change.” She half-joked
that when Jeff Sessions was in
office, she used to say it was
“Sessions versus the rest of the
country.”
Jeremy Cady is a member of
Americans for
Prosperity, which
aims to help
Americans prosper
economically. One
way the organization
does this is by
advocating for lower
taxes, though Cady
introduced himself
by saying he “isn’t
just a guy who fights
for tax cuts.” He
made clear that he
also prioritizes
criminal justice
reform and that his
organization helped
restore voting rights
to people with
felonies in Florida.
He is hopeful that
the same might be
on the horizon for
people with felonies in Kentucky.
Americans for Prosperity supports
second chances for those who
were formerly incarcerated,
including the right to obtain
professional licenses that lead to
employment.
Cont’d on p 8
EMPOWERING YOU | 06

DECEMBER 2018 NEWSLETTER
Conference wrap
By Chris Guinther, Chair, Conference Planning Committee
meet each other in an
informal setting with
delicious appetizers and
drinks.
Attendees and Presenters check-in.
Housing is one of our most basic
human needs, but for many
Missourians “housing” is only a
dream. On Saturday, November
17, over 100 social justice
advocates gathered at Hickman
High School in Columbia to learn
and share information on the issue
of affordable housing.
The one-day/Saturday only event
was a new format for the
conference
and was
received well
by those in
attendance.
Our gathering
began with a
“Mix and
Mingle”
opportunity on
Friday night
where
participants
had the
opportunity to
Saturday’s conference had
eight exciting breakout
sessions which some said
were so great that it was
hard to select which
session to attend. The
keynote luncheon included
recognition of Liz Hager-
Mace’s work to end
homelessness in Missouri. Liz
was presented the “Janet
Becker Award for Housing
Advocacy”, an award presented
to a person or organization in
Missouri who/that has contributed
to access to stable housing for
people with extremely low incomes
through persistent advocacy,
innovative ideas and collaboration
with persons living in poverty.
Tara Raghuveer was the
luncheon keynote speaker. Tara is
an organizer and researcher
JMO (on Right) presents award to Liz
Hagar-Mace
whose work has focused on
housing, immigration and voting
rights. Her keynote presentation
wove stories of the impact of
homelessness with data on the
issue. She shared practical
Tara Raghuveer
Cont’d on p 8
Attendees at business meeting
EMPOWERING YOU | 07

DECEMBER 2018 NEWSLETTER
Cont’d from p 7
suggestions for how we can work
to improve the conditions of our
Missouri citizens so that affordable
housing can become a reality for
all.
We were proud to have The Blue
Skillet, a Jefferson City small
business, cater our breakfast and
luncheon. Every one of our staff
members had a hand in making
the conference a success, and a
special thanks go to committee
members who have been working
since April to make sure that the
conference stayed true to our
theme and honored those who
have worked to expand access to
affordable, accessible and safe
housing.
Board Chair Nicole McKoy addresses
attendees.
Breakout Session.
Cont’d from p 6
Shamed Dogan is a Republican
member of the Missouri House of
Representatives, representing the
98th district. He explained that his
top three priorities are ethics
reform, education reform, and
criminal justice reform. He shared a
story about how he became
passionate about the latter. Dogan
was a part of a group of activists
that helped get a man out of prison
who had done 22 years for
marijuana charges. Ever since
then, Dogan has participated in
efforts to restore justice to the
criminal legal system.
The panelists engaged in rich
discussion. When asked about the
opportunities for sentencing reform,
Milton made the statement, “We
can close down the Workhouse!”
He explained that 96% of people
held at the Workhouse are pretrial,
meaning they have not been
convicted and are thus innocent
until proven guilty. He contends
that this in itself is an unjust
sentencing practice that can be
greatly reduced in St. Louis with
the closure of the Workhouse.
This statement and others brought
cheers from the audience, and
people spoke excitedly amongst
themselves throughout the
discussion. There was criticism
from an audience member,
however, who wondered why
directly impacted people are
seldom at the center of these
conversations or the ones speaking
at panels.
Stangl and Milton thanked her for
her criticism and each spoke about
their own role in criminal justice
reform as well as the ways in which
they try to center impacted people.
Even though there are efforts to
address this and one of the
panelists was formerly incarcerated
at the Workhouse himself, it is
important to consider and value this
criticism moving forward.
Whenever we call our
representatives and senators as
Dogan suggested, or volunteer to
help close the Workhouse, we
should make sure those most
impacted guide our steps.
EMPOWERING YOU | 08

DECEMBER 2018 NEWSLETTER
On the eve of World AIDS Day, The
Missouri HIV Justice Coalition
partnered with the
Griot Museum of Black History and
Culture to hold a screening of
ALTERNATE ENDINGS, ACTIVIST
RISINGS, a collection of short films
highlighting the work of six AIDS
Service Organizations and collectives.
The films, using the power of art and
activism to address injustices faced by
people living with HIV, were
commissioned by Visual AIDS, a New
York City-based organization that uses
art to fight AIDS and support people
living with HIV.
Immediately following the film
screening, a panel discussion was
held featuring (pictured at right in order
from left to right):
De Nichols, Founder and Principal
Designer of Civic Creatives
Opal M. Jones, President and
CEO of DOORWAYS Interfaith
Housing
Erise Williams Jr., President and
CEO of Williams and Associates,
Inc.
Each of the panelists shared their
reactions to the activism featured in
the films, as well as their own
experiences with art, activism, racial
equity, and HIV.
MO HIV Justice Coalition and
Griot Museum Partner to
Educate, Celebrate HIV
Justice Action
By Molly Pearson, Empower Missouri Intern
Nichols shared about her work as an
artist and community catalyst, and how
to build “political theatre” through art
and civic action. She discussed how
we can use these skills to generate
action and awareness around issues
that are largely erased from public
consciousness, such as the HIV
epidemic within communities of color.
Williams shared his path from on-theground
community activism during the
peak of the AIDS crisis in the late
1980s (which involved literally chaining
himself to the front door of City Hall).
He continued with details of founding
and overseeing his own non-profit
dedicated to addressing minority
health disparities throughout the bistate
region.
Jones commented on the need to be
bold with our activism, while also
recognizing that we are in the Midwest
-- thus, we must be strategic in our
choices. Strategies that may work on
the coasts may backfire in what some
dismissively call “flyover country”.
All three panelists agreed that activism
is, quite simply, doing something.
Throughout the evening, free and
confidential HIV testing was available
courtesy of the St. Louis Public Health
Department.
This event was the kickoff to the Griot
Museum’s Impact HIV/AIDS initiative,
with a series of community outreach
activities planned in the coming
months. These events will culminate
with an exhibition exploring the history
of HIV and AIDS in the local Black
community, scheduled to open in July
of 2019.
In addition to partnership with the
Griot, the Coalition is also partnering
with Saint Louis University on a series
of HIV talks and workshops in January
and February of 2019. Stay tuned for
details by following Empower Missouri
and the Missouri HIV Justice Coalition
on Facebook and Twitter.
EMPOWERING YOU | 09

DECEMBER 2018 NEWSLETTER
In Memoriam: Fr. Bill Hutchison, S.J. –
A Shining Star of Empower Missouri
On Friday, October 19, 2018, Empower Missouri lost a shining star of our
organization: Fr. Bill Hutchison, S.J. He was a dedicated and engaged member of
Empower Missouri for decades.
In our organization’s history, Fr. Bill served as our State Board President, our St.
Louis Chapter Board President and our Endowment Fund Chairperson. He was
instrumental in creating our Endowment Fund, helping us to raise almost one million
dollars as we moved toward our hundredth anniversary celebration in 2001. Besides
his amazing work with Empower Missouri over the years, he was consistently a social
justice advocate, volunteering especially with organizations that increased access to
affordable housing.
Fr. Bill was born in St. Louis in 1935 and was a Jesuit priest for 65 years. He was a
professor of Social Work at Saint Louis University for over twenty years (1972-96)
and during most of those years he was also an assistant pastor at St. Matthew’s
Parish (1973-89) in North St. Louis City. He was instrumental in the founding of the
Northside Community Center and served as its board chair for years.
Fr. Bill left the world better than he found it and remains an inspiration for many of our
current leaders. He will be deeply missed by friends, family and justice worker
colleagues.
AFFORDABLE HOUSING COALITION
Click to join us Jan 10
Save the Date and join us in Jefferson City for the first in person meeting of this to-be-named
statewide coalition for affordable housing. This meeting will include an open conversation about
the housing needs in our state, what you see in your city, and begin to come up with a slate of
policy priorities addressing the lack of affordable housing in our communities. After a provided
lunch we will engage in an advocacy training which will include a tour of our capital building, led by
Jeanette Mott Oxford, Executive Director of Empower Missouri.
For info: SarahOT@empowermissouri.org (816) 506-3513
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DECEMBER 2018 NEWSLETTER
Remember This December:
Hunger is Solvable
Helping people who are in need and who are
hungry is a holiday ritual for many Missouri
families. This generosity can make a big difference
in the lives of many low-income families in our
community who are forced to choose between
paying the rent, keeping their children fed, and
paying for transportation to and from work, or for
transportation to search for employment.
Unfortunately, these struggles continue long after
the holiday decorations are taken down. That’s
why federal anti-hunger programs like the
Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program
(SNAP) are so important.
SNAP is the first line of defense against hunger,
helping nearly 40 million people across the country
keep food on the table. In Missouri, SNAP helps
feed nearly 1 million people. Households in
Missouri’s rural areas and small towns are more
likely to benefit from SNAP than households in the
state’s metro areas. According to the Food
Research & Action Center’s interactive data tool
SNAP Maps, 17 percent of rural households and 16 percent of households in small towns
participated in SNAP, compared to just 12 percent of households in Missouri’s metro areas, on
average from 2012–2016. And 77 percent of families receiving SNAP in Missouri include at least
one working member.
While many of us support our local communities through charitable giving during this holiday
season, we also must speak out in support of essential programs such as SNAP that help lift and
keep millions of people — including large numbers in rural and small town areas — out of poverty.
Join us in encouraging our Congressional Representative to protect SNAP for all the families in need
in Missouri.
EMPOWERING YOU | 11

DECEMBER 2018 NEWSLETTER
CALENDAR
December 3 - Bill Pre-filing begins
Dec 3 - Press Conference Introducing HBs 166 & 167 to Modernize HIV Criminal Laws, Missouri State
Capitol - House Lounge
Dec 6 - Tune-In to KOPN.org MidMO 89.5 to hear MO HIV Justice Coalition’s Evonnia Woods interview Sue
Gibson on Women’s Issues, Women’s Voices 6:00 - 7:00 PM
Dec 7 - KC Chapter Forum: Seniors Count KC Public Library, 11:30 AM - 1:00 PM
Dec 14 - Smart Sentencing Conference Call, 11:00 AM Contact Christine Woody for more informationchristine@empowermissouri.org
Dec 14 - MO HIV Justice Coalition Regular Conference Call Secondary Conference Line, 1:00 - 2:00
PM
Dec 24-25 – Christmas Holiday. Empower Missouri offices closed.
Dec 27 - Under the Dome & Around the State Briefing Call, Main Conference Line (515) 603-3103;
167856, 4:30-6:00 PM
Dec 31-Jan 1 – New Year’s Eve & Day Holiday. Empower Missouri offices closed.
Jan 10 - Save the Date for Affordable Housing Coalition - sign up at link, Jefferson City 10:00 AM - 3:00 PM
Advocating for justice | Empowering Change
Headquarters’ Address
308 E. High St., Suite 100
Jefferson City, MO 65101
(573) 634-2901
(888) 634-2901
@EmpowerMissouri
www.EmpowerMissouri.org
Executive Director, Jeanette Mott Oxford
Jeanette@empowermissouri.org
Assistant Director, AJ Bockelman
AJ@empowermissouri.org
St. Louis, Christine Woody
Christine@empowermissouri.org
Southeast MO, Tracy Morrow
Tracy@empowermissouri.org
Springfield, Ashley Quinn
Ashley@empowermissouri.org
Kansas City, Sarah Owsley Townsend
SarahOT@empowermissouri.org
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