Upcoming Programs

JULY PROGRAM

Respect MO Voters – Safeguarding Missouri’s Initiative Petition Process

Thursday, July 10, 7 p.m.
Center of Clayton
50 Gay Ave.
Saint Louis, MO 63105
Doors open at 6:30 p.m.; program begins at 7 p.m.

Register here.

Once again the Missouri Legislature is working to override the will of the voters by creating a ballot measure to un-do the reproductive rights established by the passage – through the initiative petition process – of Constitutional Amendment 3.  Just like they did with past issues like preventing concealed carry, limiting puppy mills, school funding, Clean Missouri and Medicaid expansion. Can anything be done to stop the power grab? 

Now a grassroots, cross-partisan, volunteer-driven group has emerged to protect Missourians’ constitutional right to direct democracy.

Through community forums, educational materials, and outreach campaigns, the Respect MO Voters initiative aims to highlight the crucial role that the petition process plays in empowering everyday people to shape public policy and hold lawmakers accountable. By raising awareness of legislative efforts that could undermine or restrict this process, the coalition encourages residents to stay vigilant, participate in grassroots advocacy, and support measures that keep the petition pathway open, accessible, and fair for all.

Join us to learn more about this audacious plan.  And meanwhile, check out this video that reveals how Michigan voters had success …  https://respectmovoters.org/our-inspiration

Speaker: Toni Easter – co-founder of Respect MO Voters 

In 2018, retired fashion industry executive Toni Easter held a party in her yard to promote what would become a successful ballot initiative on redistricting — only to see it overturned when Republican lawmakers in Missouri put a competing initiative on the ballot.  Then last year, she collected nearly 1,000 signatures in the successful effort to enshrine abortion rights in the Missouri Constitution. This year, the legislature approved a new referendum to try to reverse it.

Now Easter is co-founder of the Respect Missouri Voters Coalition. The group is working to put another measure on the Missouri ballot in 2026, one that would bar the state’s lawmakers from overturning citizen-approved initiatives.

AUGUST PROGRAM

Thursday, August 14, 7 p.m.
Center of Clayton
50 Gay Ave.
Saint Louis, MO 63105
Doors open at 6:30 p.m.; program begins at 7 p.m.

Register here.

At least one of Missouri’s Senators is vowing to stand in the way of any cuts to Medicaid funding and protect Missourians’ healthcare, especially in rural areas.  But savvy constituents realize that othermodifications – although not direct cuts – will inevitably cause thousands of Missourians to fall out of the program support to which they are justly entitled.  That decrease in enrollment will likely result in the closure of countless rural hospitals, eliminating care options and endangering lives for even individuals with excellent private insurance coverage.  

This program will help us decode the doubletalk and understand the messy realities of the current administration’s vow to cut supposed “waste, fraud and abuse” from one of America’s most vital social programs.   

Spekaer: Sheldon Weisgrau – Vice President of Health Policy & Advocacy – Missouri Foundation of Health

Sheldon is an expert on the ramifications of federal proposals modifying the reach and impact of  Medicaid. He leads the health policy, advocacy, and government affairs functions at Missouri Foundation for Health. He works to eliminate health inequities by addressing social determinants of health, enhancing access to care especially in rural and underserved communities, and building capacity for advocacy and civic engagement by educating all stakeholders.

Before joining the Foundation, he served in senior leadership with state-based policy and advocacy organizations, a rural health consulting firm, and both federal and state agencies

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Upcoming Programs

Regular programs are held at 7 p.m. on the 2nd Thursday of the month, September-May.

We have added summer series programming for the summer of 2025.

August 14 Program – Decoding the Double-Talk of “No Cuts to Medicaid”

2025-2026 programs will be announced in the late summer; please check back, or subscribe to our email list to be notified of upcoming events.

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