Sarah Hollander

The Show-Me MyRetirement Savings Plan—slated to begin by September—is aimed at businesses with 50 or fewer employees. If a company signs up, its workers will be automatically enrolled into a 401(k) that is tied to payroll deduction, unless they opt out.

Missouri is in the last leg of a major push by the government, private companies and nonprofits, including AARP, to extend high-speed internet access to every state resident. Missouri has allocated $261 million of its American Rescue Plan Act funding for broadband efforts. And, last year, the federal Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment Program awarded the state an additional $1.7 billion — the biggest public investment of its kind in Missouri to date.

Missouri is battling a persistent gap between its high-speed internet haves and have-nots. State officials are seeking input on how to spend a windfall from Washington—of up to $1 billion—to expand broadband access.

Broadband access is still lacking in many parts of rural Missouri. AARP is working to change that.