Show-me Institute Podcast

Show-Me Institute Audio Briefs features audio versions of select articles, commentary, and publications from the Show-Me Institute. Learn more at showmeinstitute.org: https://showmeinstitute.org/article/corporate-welfare/next-up-on-chiefs-and-royals-stadium-saga/ Produced by Show-Me Opportunity This episode was produced using AI-generated narration.

Susan Pendergrass speaks with Josh Bandoch, author of "How to Get What You Want: Mastering the Art and Science of Persuasion," about why leading with data and logic is often the wrong approach to changing minds. Drawing on more than a decade of research across psychology, neuroscience, economics, and political science, and experience writing speeches for senior government officials and advising executives, Bandoch explains how the human brain feels before it reasons, why persuasion is about shared action rather than winning, and what policy advocates get wrong when trying to move legislators. They also discuss the Granny Test, how to frame arguments around your audience's moral values, the role of storytelling, and more. Find the book: https://bit.ly/3OOjydb Produced by Show-Me Opportunity

Show-Me Institute Audio Briefs features audio versions of select articles, commentary, and publications from the Show-Me Institute. Learn more at showmeinstitute.org: https://showmeinstitute.org/article/economy/opening-the-nuclear-sector-up-to-innovation-in-missouri/ Produced by Show-Me Opportunity This episode was produced using AI-generated narration.

Show-Me Institute Audio Briefs features audio versions of select articles, commentary, and publications from the Show-Me Institute. Learn more at showmeinstitute.org: https://showmeinstitute.org/article/education/moscholars-wins-in-court/ Produced by Show-Me Opportunity This episode was produced using AI-generated narration.

Visit the site: https://moschoolrankings.org/ Susan Pendergrass and Avery Frank join Zach Lawhorn to discuss MOSchoolRankings.org, the Show-Me Institute's website that assigns letter grades and GPAs to Missouri schools and districts using publicly available academic and spending data. They explore how the site works, why Missouri has lagged behind other states on accessible school report cards, and how the governor's executive order requiring A through F grades may change that. They also discuss the most common objections to grading schools, how growth and proficiency data account for differences in student populations, the status of report card legislation in the 2026 session, and more. Produced by Show-Me Opportunity

Find your school: https://moschoolrankings.org/ Show-Me Institute Audio Briefs features audio versions of select articles, commentary, and publications from the Show-Me Institute. Learn more at showmeinstitute.org: https://showmeinstitute.org/article/education/looking-at-missouris-a-districts/ Produced by Show-Me Opportunity This episode was produced using AI-generated narration.

Show-Me Institute Audio Briefs features audio versions of select articles, commentary, and publications from the Show-Me Institute. Learn more at showmeinstitute.org: https://showmeinstitute.org/article/corporate-welfare/missouris-film-tax-credits-still-dont-add-up/ Produced by Show-Me Opportunity This episode was produced using AI-generated narration.

Show-Me Institute Audio Briefs features audio versions of select articles, commentary, and publications from the Show-Me Institute. Learn more at showmeinstitute.org: https://showmeinstitute.org/article/taxes/earnings-tax-defenders-unable-to-defend-earnings-tax/ Produced by Show-Me Opportunity This episode was produced using AI-generated narration.

Show-Me Institute Audio Briefs features audio versions of select articles, commentary, and publications from the Show-Me Institute. Learn more at showmeinstitute.org: https://showmeinstitute.org/article/education/why-the-science-of-reading-is-missouris-path-forward/ Produced by Show-Me Opportunity This episode was produced using AI-generated narration.

Show-Me Institute Audio Briefs features audio versions of select articles, commentary, and publications from the Show-Me Institute. Learn more at showmeinstitute.org:https://showmeinstitute.org/article/subsidies/why-hand-out-subsidies-to-data-center-developers/ Produced by Show-Me Opportunity This episode was produced using AI-generated narration.

Susan Pendergrass speaks with Todd Davidson, Vice President of Programs at the State Policy Network, about how artificial intelligence is reshaping the think tank world. They explore what AI is good at and where it falls short, how organizations like the Show-Me Institute can use it to become more productive without losing their edge, why face-to-face relationships will only become more valuable as AI-generated content floods the internet, how a Hawaii think tank used an AI agent to help fire victims submit legislative testimony, what good policy looks like in an AI-driven energy landscape, and more. Produced by Show-Me Opportunity

Show-Me Institute Audio Briefs features audio versions of select articles, commentary, and publications from the Show-Me Institute. Learn more at showmeinstitute.org: https://bit.ly/4sy08Yx Produced by Show-Me Opportunity This episode was produced using AI-generated narration.

Susan Pendergrass and Patrick Tuohey join Zach Lawhorn to discuss their new report, "The Public Safety Climate in the City of St. Louis." They explore what the data actually show about crime trends over the past two decades, how St. Louis compares to similar cities like Cincinnati and Memphis, why crime perception lags so far behind the data, the challenges facing the 911 system and police staffing, why public disorder in high-traffic neighborhoods may be doing as much damage to the city's reputation as violent crime itself, what it would take to make residents actually feel safer, and more. Produced by Show-Me Opportunity

Show-Me Institute Audio Briefs features audio versions of select articles, commentary, and publications from the Show-Me Institute. Learn more at showmeinstitute.org: https://showmeinstitute.org/article/economy/trump-executive-order-targets-some-housing-regulation/ Produced by Show-Me Opportunity This episode was produced using AI-generated narration.

Patrick Tuohey and David Stokes join Zach Lawhorn to break down the key issues Missouri voters will decide on April 7th. They discuss whether local elections should stay in April or move to November, property tax limit votes happening in more than 90 counties, new fire district sales tax authority and what it means for taxpayers, the 1% earnings tax renewals in Kansas City and St. Louis, and Springfield's convention center lodging tax returning to the ballot after voters already rejected it. They also discuss use taxes, senior property tax freezes, the economic development sales tax on the ballot in O'Fallon, and more. Produced by Show-Me Opportunity

Show-Me Institute Audio Briefs features audio versions of select articles, commentary, and publications from the Show-Me Institute. Learn more at showmeinstitute.org: https://showmeinstitute.org/article/corporate-welfare/kansas-sports-authority-lets-chiefs-play-as-home-team-referee-and-rulebook/ Produced by Show-Me Opportunity This episode was produced using AI-generated narration.

David Stokes, Elias Tsapelas, and Avery Frank join Zach Lawhorn to break down the latest from the 2026 Missouri legislative session, including updates on the push to eliminate Missouri's income tax. They also discuss why the film tax credit doesn't work out for Missouri taxpayers, which provisions of the early literacy bills are still moving forward, the growing debate over data center incentives and energy demands, and more. Produced by Show-Me Opportunity

Show-Me Institute Audio Briefs features audio versions of select articles, commentary, and publications from the Show-Me Institute. Learn more at showmeinstitute.org: https://showmeinstitute.org/article/taxes/the-wrong-way-to-fix-property-taxes/ Produced by Show-Me Opportunity This episode was produced using AI-generated narration.

Show-Me Institute Audio Briefs features audio versions of select articles, commentary, and publications from the Show-Me Institute. Learn more at showmeinstitute.org: https://showmeinstitute.org/article/economy/whos-paying-for-what-with-data-centers/ Produced by Show-Me Opportunity This episode was produced using AI-generated narration.

Show-Me Institute Audio Briefs features audio versions of select articles, commentary, and publications from the Show-Me Institute. Learn more at showmeinstitute.org. Article text: David Stokes Was Right: Property Tax Caps Are Squeezing Local Budgets Nationwide By Patrick Tuohey Property tax relief has become a rallying cry for state policymakers across the country. Frustration over rising home values and the cost of living has driven lawmakers in states including Indiana, Ohio, and Wyoming to enact sweeping property tax cuts in recent sessions. But while these measures may look attractive on the campaign trail, they are already putting real strain on local governments that depend on property taxes to fund schools, public safety, and other essential services. An article in the publication Governing titled “State Property Tax Relief Pushes Local Budgets to the Brink” highlights this emerging dynamic. Lawmakers in several states have pursued homeowner tax credits, rate caps, or other limitations without