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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.
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How you can influence the legislative process
You can use your power as a constituent to influence legislators all year long. You can call them, write them or make personal contact with them. Arise’s Legislative Days are great, but it’s even better to contact lawmakers in their home districts. Find contact information by calling (334) 242-7600 (House) or (334) 242-7800 (Senate). Make [...]
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Governor candidates answer Arise questions on housing, lending, transportation
Arise reached out to 2018 Democratic and Republican gubernatorial candidates to seek their thoughts on policies that affect low-income people in Alabama. (We contacted candidates via email or other electronic means available on their websites. Those resources were not available for all candidates.) Arise does not support or oppose any candidates for elected office. This [...]
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Governor candidates answer Arise questions on taxes, budgets
Arise reached out to 2018 Democratic and Republican gubernatorial candidates to seek their thoughts on policies that affect low-income people in Alabama. (We contacted candidates via email or other electronic means available on their websites. Those resources were not available for all candidates.) Arise does not support or oppose any candidates for elected office. This [...]
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Push to block Alabama tax break for private school tuition succeeds; Ivey signs bill to create hardship driver’s licenses
Arise members had two big reasons to celebrate Thursday, as Gov. Kay Ivey signed a pair of bills that finalize policy wins related to our organization’s 2018 issue priorities. One law will halt (at least for now) an effort to create a new state tax break for private school tuition in Alabama, while the other [...]
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Alabama Legislature rejects tax break for private school tuition
Update: Gov. Kay Ivey signed HB 251 into law on March 22 – without the language that would have cost public schools millions of dollars a year. Thank you to all the Arise members and everyone else who helped protect education funding in Alabama! Great news, y’all: Arise members just helped save millions of dollars a year [...]
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Education budget, landlord-tenant changes, HIV drug bill advance in Alabama Legislature
K-12 teachers in Alabama wouldn’t get a raise next year under the Education Trust Fund (ETF) budget that a House committee approved Wednesday. The House is expected to vote on the plan next week. The committee’s $5.9 billion budget would restore $10 million of state funding for Alabama State University that the Senate had removed. [...]
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Alabama House passes bill that would erode renters’ rights
In a setback for renters throughout Alabama, the House voted 78-4 Thursday to erode protections for the state’s tenants. HB 421, sponsored by Rep. David Sessions, R-Grand Bay, now moves to the Senate. HB 421 would reduce the number of curable, or fixable, breaches of a lease in a year from the current four to [...]
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Senate passes 30-days-to-pay bill that would help Alabama payday loan borrowers
Payday loan borrowers across Alabama would get more time to repay and collectively would save tens of millions of dollars a year under a bill that the state Senate passed 20-4 Thursday. The 30-days-to-pay bill – SB 138, sponsored by Sen. Arthur Orr, R-Decatur – now goes to the House. SB 138 would extend Alabama’s [...]
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Public transportation bill sails through Alabama House committee
A good month for public transportation advocates in Alabama continued Wednesday when a state House committee approved legislation to create an Alabama Public Transportation Trust Fund. SB 85, sponsored by Sen. Rodger Smitherman, D-Birmingham, now goes to the House, which could vote on the bill and send it to Gov. Kay Ivey as soon as [...]
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Alabama Senate passes public transportation trust fund bill
Public transportation took another step forward Thursday when the Alabama Senate voted 26-0 for legislation to create an Alabama Public Transportation Trust Fund. SB 85, sponsored by Sen. Rodger Smitherman, D-Birmingham, moves to the House. A similar bill – HB 10, sponsored by Rep. Jack Williams, R-Vestavia Hills – won House committee approval last week. Alabama [...]