E-Advocates #10 

Missouri’s Legislative Session is Off to the Races! 
January 22, 2024 | By Christina Ingoglia 

Emmaus Advocacy Supporters, as many of you know, the Missouri Legislature convened for the 2024 session on January 3rd. From now until mid-May, legislators will hear, debate, and pass laws, as well as approve the budget for the next fiscal year. A lot happens in just a few months! 

While this session will be more challenging than usual to make progress on our priorities, we are excited to continue building relationships with all legislators and their staff. An Emmaus group will be at the Capitol about 2 times each month. Anyone is welcome to join! On these visits, we go to appointments with legislators, leave behind information, and do education about the residential services we provide.  

On March 13th, you can go with our Emmaus contingent to Disability Rights Legislative Day. This event, hosted by the Missouri Developmental Disabilities Council, starts with an exciting rally in the Capitol’s rotunda. Speakers include self-advocates, family members, legislators, and statewide officials. After that, we go to a few legislative appointments to share information about Emmaus. To sign up to join us, please go here and register by February 2nd. This year, you will get a super sweet t-shirt if you also go with us! 

Even if you can’t make it to the Capitol with us, we need your stories! We want to hear from clients, family members, guardians, staff, and other supporters about why Emmaus matters to you. This will help us tell the Emmaus story to legislators who ultimately decide how much we can pay our Direct Care staff.