This is What Democracy Sounds Like

Funding for Raise the Age, improvements for the expungement process, outlawing choke holds, tracking of use of force by police, new requirements for hiring officers, and reporting bad officers. Did you know all of these things passed this past legislative session in Missouri? We talk with State Senator Brian Williams about the measures he sponsored and passed. Plus, we get an update on Medicaid in Missouri.

On June 19th Join us in Jennings for a day of Juneteenth celebration and action. Click the link below to register. In this program, MCU organizer LaTrisha Gandy and Associate Pastor Bethany Johnson-Javois give a preview of the day's events and the long-term commitment to building power and relationships in Jennings. The day starts at 9 AM at Monument of Faith Church of God in Christ at 5400 Janet Ave.

https://secure.everyaction.com/USbaPpg5jki57QChQnmMBA2

https://fb.me/e/1uHVA1p7G

To learn more about the MCU Participatory Defense support group:

Text #LoveYouth to 31996

https://mcustlouis.org/events/justice-for-you-families-impacted-by-the-juvenile-courts/

To learn more about Monument of Faith Church of God in Christ:

http://www.Blowwindblow.org/

https://www.facebook.com/themonumentors

A continuation from MCU’s recent Environmental Justice Public Meeting. This program took place on April 29th over Zoom. This program is lead by Sister Dolores Sanchez, and Beth Gutzler, lead environmental justice organizers for MCU, Kentaro Kumanomido the Digital & Environmental Justice Community Organizer of United Congregations of Metro East, and Father Vince Nyman and Ken Denson, members of the MCU environmental task force.

To Connect:

Sierra Club Missouri Chapter: https://www.sierraclub.org/missouri

United Congregation of Metro East: https://www.ucmetroeast.org/

Community First Plus: https://www.facebook.com/Community-First-Plus-102954245173621

This program features excerpts from the MCU Environmental Justice Public Meeting from April 29th. You will hear from Emmiline Giles, the lead environmental justice organizer with MCU, Rev. Kevin D. Anthony a leader on the MCU environment justice task force, Leah Clyburn the Beyond Coal Senior Organizer with the Sierra Club Missouri Chapter, Kentaro Kumanomido the Digital & Environmental Justice Community Organizer of United Congregations of Metro East, Mamie Cosey, a resident of Sauget, IL, and Myisha Johnson, a co-director of Community First Plus. The guests speak on the day-to-day direct impact of pollution and environmental racism on residents of the St. Louis region.

To Connect:

Sierra Club Missouri Chapter: https://www.sierraclub.org/missouri

United Congregation of Metro East: https://www.ucmetroeast.org/

Community First Plus: https://www.facebook.com/Community-First-Plus-102954245173621

In 2013, MCU joined with several other community organizations dedicated to racial equity in the workplace and signed a historic community benefits agreement or CBA with the Metropolitan St. Louis Sewer District or MSD. Learn how this agreement, centered around a decades-long infrastructure project, guaranteed work to minority and women-owned businesses, that workforce numbers would equitably represent the minority/female community population, and training for this specialized work would be funded to ensure a new generation of sewer, tunnel, and water-treatment workers.

We talk with Rev. Susan Sneed and Jim Sahaida of MCU and Sean Hadley of MSD about the tough negotiations to get to this agreement and how the agreement has benefited both the community and MSD.

Read more:

https://mcustlouis.org/news/work-and-economic-equity-community-benefits-agreement-with-msd/

https://msdprojectclear.org/about/diversity/programs-resources/community-benefits-agreement/

In August of 2020, Missouri voters approved an amendment to the state constitution to expand Medicaid coverage to an additional 230,000 Missourians who lack health insurance. The Missouri legislature is ignoring the will of the voters and refusing to fund Medicaid expansion. We talk about the excuses given by our elected officials and how hard-working Missourians will be hurt if legislators fail to do their duty. Our guests are  Richard Van Glahn of Missouri Jobs with Justice and Traci Gleason of the Missouri Budget Project.

Take action with Missouri Jobs with Justice:

https://www.mojwj.org/blog/what-you-need-to-know-about-medicaid-expansion-in-missouri/

Learn more about the fine details of Medicaid Expansion and the Missouri budget:

https://www.mobudget.org/

Environmental Justice is a large systemic issue that requires long-term, purposeful community work. MCU Environmental Justice organizers Emmaline Giles, Beth Gutzler, and Sister Dolores Sanchez talk about the power available when affected people organize to fight for a healthy environment where they live, work, and play.

Read more about environmental racism in a 2019 report published by Washington University in partnership with Action St. Louis, Arch City Defenders, Dutchtown South Community Corporation, and the Sierra Club. https://law.wustl.edu/interdisciplinary-environmental-clinic-authors-study-on-environmental-racism/

What is environmental racism and how does it impact our communities? This is one of the questions that will be addressed at the Mothering the Earth Symposium on May 1. In this episode, we preview that topic with symposium speaker, Rev. Dr. Cassandra Gould of Missouri Fath Voices and Rev. Wendy Bruner, Pastor of Peace UCC and Board President of MCU.

For more information on the Symposium: https://fb.me/e/dj6V99ykv

To register for the Symposium: tinyurl.com/peace-symposium-registration

Raise the Age funding, Medicaid expansion, the right to protest, and expungement expansion - all of these issues are currently being decided in the Missouri legislature, and all of them will directly impact vulnerable Missourians and our ability to fight for them. We replay recent interviews we've had with those close to these issues.

Now is the time to raise your voice to your State Senators and Representatives. Contact them now about these issues. Decisions that impact your life will be decided in the coming weeks.

Find your legislators here:

https://www.senate.mo.gov/LegisLookup/Default.aspx

Raise the Age, HB1242:

https://house.mo.gov/Bill.aspx?bill=HB1242&year=2021&code=R

Contact the Senate Appropriations Committee about Medicaid expansion:

https://www.senate.mo.gov/aprp/

Obstructing traffic while protesting, SB26:

https://www.senate.mo.gov/21info/BTS_Web/Bill.aspx?SessionType=R&BillID=54105537

Expungement Expansion, SB61:

https://www.senate.mo.gov/21info/BTS_Web/Bill.aspx?SessionType=R&BillID=54105450

Men and women who have been convicted of a crime and have severed their sentences, including probation and parole, are still burdened with perpetual punishment. No matter how long ago, a past conviction can prevent a person from being hired, finding employment, or obtaining loans. Expungement removes this obstacle, but it applies to a limited number of people and can be expensive. Missouri Senate Bill 61 seeks to expand eligibility and make the expungement process easier.

Latrel and Tracy Stanton, organizers from EXPO St. Louis, lead this discussion on Senate Bill 61. They talk with Johnny Waller, who current expungement laws have impacted, Martin Hutchins of Arch City Defenders, and Senator Brian Willams, the sponsor of Senate Bill 61.

https://www.senate.mo.gov/21info/BTS_Web/Bill.aspx?SessionType=R&BillID=54105450

https://www.facebook.com/EXPOSTL

https://twitter.com/ExpoStL