MOST Policy Initiative, Inc.

30/10/2026

📣 Less than a week left until election day, and early voting is in full swing in Missouri!

Need some clarity for what's on the ballot? We've got you covered!
Our voter decoder is a nonpartisan, non-advocacy explainer for each amendment and proposition. It includes the outcomes of a YES and NO vote on each, covers what's already illegal, and adds extra background on each issue.

Check it out 👉 https://mostpolicyinitiative.org/voter-decoder-november-2026/

Make a plan to vote on or by November 3rd! If you're in Missouri, check the status of your registration and polling location at https://voteroutreach.sos.mo.gov/portal/

For early voting, make sure to click through to your county clerk's website, since early voting locations are often different than election day polling places.

29/10/2026

Last week, Dr. Vikram Lakhanpal attended the Power Missouri Summit, hosted by the Missouri Public Service Commission (PSC).

Dr. Lakhanpal found the day’s sessions illuminating and appreciated the chance to connect with Missouri energy experts: "getting to talk with people who work there in different roles – lawyers, technical experts, and regulatory experts – gave me a better appreciation for how much goes into setting utility rates and planning projects.”

Read more about the Summit's program and Dr. Lakhanpal's takeaways on our blog: https://mostpolicyinitiative.org/2026-power-missouri-summit/

28/10/2026

In a study on which states are good places to work, Missouri landed right in the middle, at #25. Rankings were based on wages, worker protections, and rights to organize, per The Kansas City Star. Missouri maintained its ranking from the previous year.

One specific policy considered in the rankings was right to work laws, which Missourians rejected at the ballot box in 2018. As Dr. Chris Wielga outlines in Local Right to Work:
👉 Right to Work (RTW) laws prohibit workers from being required to contribute to a union
👉 MO is not a RTW state, although bills have been filed to allow counties to enact RTW locally
👉 Some cities and counties in KY, IL, and NM have passed local RTW laws, but it is unclear if they have legal authority to do so

Read the ranking by Oxfam: https://www.oxfamamerica.org/explore/issues/economic-justice/workers-rights/best-states-to-work/scorecard/?state=MO
The article in the The Kansas City Star by Rashad Alexander: https://www.kansascity.com/news/local/article317300831.html
And the Science Note: https://mostpolicyinitiative.org/science-note/local-right-to-work/



[Figure: Bar chart showing where Missouri ranks out of all 50 U.S. states as well as Puerto Rico and Washington D.C. by Oxfam.]

27/10/2026

Glendale, MO is facing a shortfall in local funds after implementation of the senior property tax freeze passed in SB 190 from 2023. The city voted to increase taxes to pay back city bonds issued for improvements to streets and other infrastructure. However, "about 22% to 25% of Glendale residents who qualified for the senior tax freeze program did not have to pay that additional tax increase," according to the city administrator. Because of this, the city will not raise the amount of funds initially estimated and will need to scale back the projects or raise the levy (tax rate) on the remaining taxpayers to cover the shortfall.

In Property Taxes and Home Values, Dr. Isabel Warner covers how property taxes are calculated in Missouri, where that money goes, and how the Hancock Amendment impacts local rates and revenues.

Check out the story from First Alert 4: https://www.firstalert4.com/2026/09/23/senior-property-tax-freeze-leaves-glendale-facing-revenue-shortfall-voter-approved-bond-issue/
And read the Science Note: https://mostpolicyinitiative.org/science-note/property-taxes-and-home-values/

In MO, the Hancock amendment typically results in property tax rate decreases, but this does not translate to lower property taxes.

26/10/2026

Next Thursday, November 5th, Drs. Jennifer Bean and Vikram Lakhanpal will be talking about how scientists engage with policymakers at the MU Division of Food, Nutrition, and Exercise Science Seminar Series.

If you're in the area, come check it out at 4 PM in 220 Gwynn Hall on the University of Missouri campus, or attend virtually at umsystem.zoom.us/j/95786320610.

23/10/2026

Representative Brad Christ has called for a review of data center costs following a requested rate increase by electricity provider Ameren Missouri. This request would raise electricity rates by "approximately 10 percent, adding about $13 a month, or $156 a year, to the average residential customer's bill. This request follows a 12 percent increase that took effect in June 2025 and would mark the company's third rate increase in five years," per the Representative's office. Representative Christ has filed his complaints with the Public Service Commission and asked it to independently verify projected costs.

In 2025, Missouri passed SB 4, which allowed companies to charge consumers for construction of new power infrastructure before breaking ground. Previously, companies could only increase rates once infrastructure was online, when total construction costs were finalized.

Ameren and other providers project increasing electricity demand, driven by "new large-load customers" such as data centers. In the Science Note on Addressing AI Energy Demand, Dr. Vikram Lakhanpal covers how some states' public utility commissions have negotiated independent rates and conditions for large load electricity consumers, such as data centers.

Read the press release: https://house.mo.gov/PressRelease.aspx?prid=478
Check out the Science Note: https://mostpolicyinitiative.org/science-note/addressing-ai-energy-demand/



[PC: Annelise Hanshaw with MO Independent]

22/10/2026

Earlier this month the Fellows team completed the first half of our annual state tour! The team met with farmers, researchers, and policy experts from Kansas City to Hannibal. They toured local museums, hiked through a wildlife reserve, took a ride on a combine, and experienced the Mississippi River by steamboat.

Read more about the trip on our blog:

This October, the Fellows team traveled across the north and western parts of Missouri. They met with legislators, partners, and practitioners to lean more about the challenges facing different regions of the state. They met with experts on economic development, problem gambling, transit, and more!....

21/10/2026

Next Monday (October 26), Dr. Jennifer Bean will be moderating a panel on Nutrition and Brain Fog at the Food and Nutrition Conference & Expo (FNCE).

Dr. Bean joins Dr. Kristine Lokken and Dr. Lina Begdache who will provide their expertise on the current evidence, research gaps, and applications for cognitive health at the largest gathering of food and nutrition professionals in the world.

If you're in San Antonio, make sure to stop by the panel! If you can't make it this year, stay tuned for our recap where Dr. Bean will discuss her takeaways from the meeting.

20/10/2026

Two weeks from today, voters will head to the polls for the midterm elections. In Missouri, voters will be asked to weigh in on four proposed constitutional amendments and a referendum on the 2025 mid-decade Congressional redistricting map.

To help voters navigate their options, MOST is pleased to present our Voter Decoder: a non-partisan non-advocacy explainer of the outcomes of YES and NO votes, along with background information and relevant Science Notes.

Check it out here: https://mostpolicyinitiative.org/voter-decoder-november-2026/

Early voting also starts today! Find your early voting location on your local election authority's website: https://www.sos.mo.gov/elections/goVoteMissouri/localelectionauthority

16/10/2026

The City of Columbia is raising rates for electricity in an effort to update infrastructure, pay for maintenance, and retain workers. Concerns have been raised over where the city gets its power, and its efforts to use renewable sources. Per Jennie Matos at KBIA 91.3 FM, less than 25% of the city's power comes from renewables, despite its stated energy goals.

How does Columbia's electricity sourcing compare with the state? Dr. Vikram Lakhanpal looked at where Missouri gets its power, and how that changes throughout the year.

MO's #1 energy source is coal (66%) followed by natural gas (11%) and nuclear (11%). Generation peaks in summer and winter, which follows national trends.

Read more about how electricity is sourced and how demand changes in MO: https://mostpolicyinitiative.org/science-note/memo-sources-of-electricity-in-mo/
the benefits and limitations of each source: https://mostpolicyinitiative.org/science-note/grid-reliability/
and read about Columbia's electricity sourcing from KBIA: https://www.kbia.org/kbia-news/2026-09-30/as-columbia-buys-power-and-hikes-rates-is-there-enough-green-production