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: Feb. 6, 2024
Arise's Akiesha Anderson welcomes everyone to the Alabama Legislature's 2024 regular session. She talks about what we'll be looking out for on our members' legislative priorities and how you can stay engaged with us this year as we work to build a better, more inclusive Alabama. Full video transcript: Hi, everyone. My name is Akiesha [...]
Letters & Testimony
Alabama Arise joins state commission on elimination of state grocery tax
The state sales tax on groceries is a cruel tax on survival, and Alabama Arise is committed to eliminating it. That is why I am grateful that Sen. Bobby Singleton nominated me to serve on the Joint Study Commission on Grocery Taxation on behalf of Arise. I am extremely excited about and honored for this [...]
Blog
Stories at MDC event reveal Medicaid expansion’s life-changing potential in Alabama
This post originally appeared on MDC’s website. By Debbie Smith, Cover Alabama campaign director at Alabama Arise, and Whit Sides, Cover Alabama storyteller at Alabama Arise Medicaid expansion would empower nearly 300,000 uninsured and underinsured Alabamians to access the health care they need to survive and thrive. Alabama Arise and Cover Alabama were proud to [...]
Blog
Join Alabama Arise in this season of gratitude
In this season of gratitude, I’m thankful for you – our members. You lead our work by sharing your vision for building a better Alabama. And then you join Alabama Arise in getting to work by taking action and by giving financially. More than 10% of our financial support comes from members like you. And your [...]
Blog
Alabama Arise, worker advocates celebrate progress
Alabama Arise is working on multiple fronts to improve life for working Alabamians. As part of our ongoing Worker Power Project, we held an Oct. 26 convening in Montgomery with around 20 worker advocacy groups and organized labor partners from across the state. Attendees met to discuss building and implementing a state agenda to build [...]
Blog
Medicaid ‘unwinding’ hits halfway mark in Alabama
In April, Medicaid ended a continuous coverage eligibility period brought on by the public health emergency during the COVID-19 pandemic. What followed was a return to traditional eligibility requirements. This return to normal rules is called “unwinding.” Coverage losses have begun, and tens of thousands of Alabamians likely will lose their Medicaid coverage by June [...]
Blog
Maternal, infant health care debuts as an Alabama Arise priority
Alabama Arise reached a new milestone in October when more than 500 members voted to determine Arise’s 2024 legislative priorities after our Annual Meeting. Nearly 100 members attended the meeting in person at the Equal Justice Initiative’s Legacy Institute in Montgomery, while almost 250 attended virtually. Outgoing board president Kathy Vincent led the meeting, which [...]
Blog
Three strategies to boost Alabama’s workforce
Alabama leaders and policymakers are stressing about one big issue going into the 2024 legislative session: labor force participation. Alabama’s labor force participation rate is among the nation’s lowest. Only 57% of working-age adults reported they were actively working or looking for jobs as of September 2023. We also have a severe worker shortage, with [...]
Blog
Arise legislative update: Update on Alabama’s new congressional map
Arise's Mike Nicholson gives an update on the new congressional map that the U.S. District Court approved as a remedy in Alabama's redistricting case last week. That order came after federal judges ruled that both the state's original map and the revised one that the Legislature passed during a special session in July likely did [...]
Blog
Here’s what Alabama Arise heard from you in summer 2023!
Alabama Arise listens because we deeply value the input we get from members, partners and most importantly, those directly affected by the work we do together. We depend on what we hear to help guide our issue work and our strategies. We held three statewide online events this summer: two Town Hall Tuesdays and one [...]