Letter from Executive Director
Letter from Executive Director
Dear Arise members and partners,
2023 was a banner year for Alabama Arise and Alabama Arise Action members and our long-term goals to advance dignity, equity and justice for all of us.
LEGISLATIVE WINS
Thanks to your multi-year investment in our member-led state policy agenda, we succeeded in cutting the state grocery tax in half. Once fully implemented, this tax cut could save a family of four around $300 each year on food costs during a time of record inflation. This victory for all Alabamians will make our upside-down tax system more fair while cutting a cruel tax on survival.
Weighing in on critical budget debates, we successfully advocated for American Rescue Plan Act investments to help struggling communities with needs like health care, broadband internet, and water and sewer infrastructure. We supported creation of a Medicaid trust fund to protect and sustain affordable health coverage. At the same time, we worked with partners to defeat attacks on public education funding like the PRICE Act. And we saw positive movement for transparency and accountability with the creation of new reporting requirements for economic development incentives.
We successfully supported legislation to restore driver’s licenses to nearly 170,000 Alabamians who lost their ability to drive over their inability to pay fines and fees. And we opposed harmful attacks on renters’ rights under the landlord-tenant law.
ADMINISTRATIVE WINS
With our partners in the Medicaid unwinding task force, we successfully advocated for a slow and measured eligibility redetermination process to protect health coverage for families with low incomes as COVID-19 emergency protections wind down.
We worked to ensure that more families have access to child nutrition supports via community eligibility programs for free school meals and SNAP.
We also saw the governor make an unprecedented move in temporarily pausing executions after we advocated for more transparency in our state’s execution protocol. Executions did not resume in the seven months that followed.
BUILDING POWER AND CIVIC PARTICIPATION
Working together with partners, we supported efforts to expand access to voting. The redistricting process that began in a July 2023 special session may result in two majority-minority congressional districts, ensuring more Alabamians and BIPOC voters have fair representation. Together, we are fighting to ensure that all of us have fair and adequate representation and that our elected officials are accountable to the needs of all Alabamians regardless of the color of their skin, their income or their ZIP code.
THE POWER OF MEMBERSHIP
Our forward momentum on so many fronts would not be possible without your sustaining investments. Did you know that 10% of our Alabama Arise budget, and an amazing 100% of our Alabama Arise Action budget, comes from membership contributions? Without your support, we would not have the freedom to continue to pursue a broad, intersectional and responsive member-driven agenda.
Thank you for your support, this year and every year, to help us realize our vision for a better Alabama for all!
With gratitude,
Robyn Hyden
Executive Director, Alabama Arise