Blog
Public policy should make life better for everyone, not just a select few. Throughout the year, Arise tracks a range of state and federal policy proposals and assesses what they would mean for Alabamians who are struggling to make ends meet. Our blog provides quick updates on these proposals and offers tips on what you can do to help build an Alabama where all people have an opportunity to reach their full potential.
Blog
Arise legislative update: March 11, 2024
Arise's 2024 Legislative Day will be held on April 2 in Montgomery. Please join us there and speak up for a better Alabama for all! Arise's Presdelane Harris provides more information on what you need to know about this annual event. Register at https://alariseaction.org/legislative-day-2024. Full video transcript Hello, I'm Pres Harris, organizing director at Alabama [...]
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Government for the people?
Lately, I am struck by how many elected officials view their job as serving private industry and large corporations instead of their constituents and voters. This belief comes out in the ways some officials discuss Alabama’s “labor force participation” concerns. Instead of increasing workers’ autonomy by investing in public transportation, affordable housing, health care or [...]
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Recent Alabama execution underscores ongoing need for death penalty reform
This year already has seen a number of Alabama Arise priorities in the news, and death penalty reform is no exception. Unfortunately, Alabama recently became the first state to perform an execution using the unsafe and untested method known as nitrogen hypoxia. The state executed Kenneth Smith using this method on Jan. 25, despite concerns [...]
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State, federal budgets need to do more for children
It’s budget season at the Alabama Legislature and in Congress. But many of our state and federal representatives are not doing enough to meet the very real needs of ordinary people. Gov. Kay Ivey has now proposed an Education Trust Fund budget as well as a General Fund budget, which funds Medicaid, mental health care [...]
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Grocery tax, protecting voting rights among Arise priorities for 2024 session
The Alabama Legislature began its second regular session of the current quadrennium on Feb. 6. Lawmakers already have voted on numerous hot-button issues early in this session, and Alabama Arise anticipates that trend may continue. The upcoming presidential election, Alabama’s early primary date and other political factors may color what legislative leaders prioritize this year. [...]
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Arise legislative update: March 4, 2024
Arise's Akiesha Anderson gives a rundown on a plethora of bills we are monitoring on voting rights, education funding and other issues as we begin the fifth week of the Alabama Legislature's 2024 regular session. As a reminder, you can always visit alarise.org and click on "Take Action" to see a list of our action [...]
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Arise legislative update: Feb. 26, 2024
Arise's Akiesha Anderson breaks down a flurry of legislation that kept us busy last week. She discusses bills filed in response to the Alabama Supreme Court's decision on in vitro fertilization (IVF), updates us on anti-DEI legislation and examines the CHOOSE Act, a bill that would redirect public school funding to private schools and homeschooling. [...]
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The urgency of improving maternal health outcomes in Alabama
I am honored to join the Alabama Arise team to help address one of the most pressing issues facing our state: maternal health. My name is Victoria, and I am Arise’s new maternal health fellow. I come to Arise with a deep passion for improving maternal health outcomes for all individuals in our state. About [...]
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Arise legislative update: Feb. 20, 2024
Arise's Akiesha Anderson provides updates on all the bills that moved last week and previews what's to come this week in the Alabama Legislature. Topics include a harmful bill that would create barriers to absentee voting, efforts to preserve child labor protections, the future of the state sales tax on groceries and the CHOOSE Act, [...]
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Arise legislative update: Feb. 12, 2024
Arise's Akiesha Anderson catches everyone up on a busier-than-normal first week of the Alabama legislative session and previews an additional busy week ahead. Anderson discusses what's been happening with a harmful bill that would create more barriers to absentee voting and provides an update on the future of the state sales tax on groceries. Full [...]