Blog | Show-Me Institute | Where Liberty Comes First

04 Feb

Missouri’s Tough Road Ahead

Posted by Patrick Tuohey Budget and Spending, Economy, State and Local Government, Taxes

On January 28, Missouri’s newly sworn-in governor Mike Kehoe delivered his State of the State address. His remarks were well […]

04 Feb

Patriotic Education or Federal Overreach? With Chester (Checker) Finn

Posted by Susan Pendergrass Accountability, Education, Education Finance, Performance, School Choice, State and Local Government

Susan Pendergrass speaks with Chester (Checker) Finn, Distinguished Senior Fellow and President Emeritus at the Thomas B. Fordham Institute, about […]

Empty hospital hallway, Medicaid coverage, Missouri Medicaid, PTD shifting, Medicaid costs, Missouri budget, Medicaid eligibility, Medicaid enrollment

03 Feb

Medicaid’s Checkup: Part 3

Posted by Elias Tsapelas Health Care, Medicaid

Now that I’ve covered how expensive Medicaid expansion has proven to be, it’s time to explain why things may be […]

Telemedicine, Missouri healthcare, doctor with laptop, licensing, ARPNs, Cicero Institute

31 Jan

On Hold for Telemedicine

Posted by Elias Tsapelas Free-Market Reform, Health Care

After a disappointing end to the 2024 legislative session, when Missouri’s policymakers missed the call for telemedicine reform, there’s reason […]

30 Jan

2025 Economic Trends for the U.S. and Missouri with Aaron Hedlund and Elijah Haahr

Posted by Aaron Hedlund Budget and Spending, Business Climate, Economy, Energy, Labor, Municipal Policy, Regulation, State and Local Government, Taxes, Transparency, Welfare, Workforce

In December 2024, in Springfield, Missouri, the Show-Me Institute and Show-Me Opportunity hosted an event featuring Dr. Aaron Hedlund, Chief […]

Education choice, Florida, Florida school choice, open enrollment, ALEX index, DESE

30 Jan

Celebrate Educational Freedom: A Lesson from Florida

Posted by James V. Shuls Education, School Choice

I recently learned that Florida was ranked first on the 2025 ALEC Index of State Education Freedom. That ranking did […]

29 Jan

Missouri Public Schools Have a Very Serious Reading Problem

Posted by Susan Pendergrass Accountability, Education

Test scores on the Nation’s Report Card were released on January 29th, and Missouri faces a dire future if we […]

FGA report, Missouri State Capital, Missouri spending, bureaucracy, red tape, reducing the size of government, government efficiency

28 Jan

Pruning Missouri’s Bureaucracy: Lessons from FGA’s Report

Posted by Patrick Tuohey State and Local Government

A new report from the Foundation for Government Accountability (FGA), Reducing Government Headcount: Proven Strategies for Reducing Bureaucracy While Improving […]

27 Jan

The Surveillance Society Is Here

Posted by David Stokes Criminal Justice, State and Local Government, Uncategorized

A version of the following commentary appeared in the Columbia Missourian. I love science-fiction movies that portray a future, usually bleak, […]

27 Jan

Eternal Vigilance in the Fight for Educational Freedom

Posted by James V. Shuls Education, School Choice

It has been said that the price of liberty is eternal vigilance. I was reminded of this as I watched […]

27 Jan

Missouri Must Do Better at Controlling Spending

Posted by Patrick Tuohey State and Local Government

A version of the following commentary appeared in the Springfield News-Leader. Elections and inaugurations are a time for reflection and […]

27 Jan

Banning Smartphone Use in Schools with John Ketcham

Posted by Susan Pendergrass Accountability, Education, Education Finance, Performance, State and Local Government

Susan Pendergrass speaks with John Ketcham, legal policy fellow and director of cities at the Manhattan Institute, about his Model […]

City of St. Louis, snow plows, icy streets, municipal services, St. Louis snow, department of streets

23 Jan

The Gang that Couldn’t Plow Straight

Posted by Scott Tanner Municipal Policy, State and Local Government

There’s an old warning that “the plural of anecdote is not data.” But there sure are a lot of anecdotes […]

Map of Missouri, Missouri population, population shrinking, Missouri decline

22 Jan

Missouri is Shrinking

Posted by Patrick Tuohey State and Local Government

In each decade of the past 50 years, Missouri’s population growth has failed to keep pace with the nation. From […]

16 Jan

Missouri Economic Development Incentives Aren’t Worth It

Posted by Patrick Tuohey Corporate Welfare, Tax Credits

From January 1, 2023, through December 31, 2023, Missouri issued just under $233 million in economic incentives, according to the […]

Sedalia, Missouri, tax subsidies, chapter 353 redevelopment, urban redevelopment plan, planning, taxpayer waste

15 Jan

Sedalia Doesn’t Need a 353 Redevelopment Plan

Posted by David Stokes Corporate Welfare, Subsidies

There is a lot happening in Sedalia right now. Many local residents are starting to ask questions about the goings-on […]

13 Jan

Is Professional, Non-Partisan Management the Solution for St. Louis Government?

Posted by David Stokes Municipal Policy, State and Local Government

Both the City of St. Louis and St. Louis County are debating whether or not to adopt a city manager […]

Nuclear power, Missouri energy, nuclear advisory council, nuclear power plants, alternative energy, energy demand

10 Jan

Forming a Missouri Nuclear Advisory Council

Posted by Avery Frank Economy, Energy

The recent snowstorm reinforces the necessity of a reliable, consistent energy grid to power homes and businesses. As America and […]

Missouri schools, school choice, public education, school funding

09 Jan

Public Dollars for Public School Students: Discrimination of Choice

Posted by James V. Shuls Education, School Choice

Critics of school choice programs like to claim that these programs create new expenses for the government. They argue that […]

09 Jan

Establishing a Missouri Office of Government Efficiency (MOGE)

Posted by Elias Tsapelas Budget and Spending, State and Local Government, Transparency

The size of Missouri’s government has nearly doubled over the past five years, and given the recent commitment from President […]