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 recap: Feb. 28, 2020
Arise members showed up in force in Montgomery on Tuesday for our annual Legislative Day! Arise's Chris Sanders gives a brief recap of the event and introduces a replay of our news conference on untaxing groceries. (Please note: The news conference footage was streamed from a cell phone and includes a few moments of adjustment.) [...]
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Arise legislative recap: Feb. 25, 2020
Today, Feb. 25, is our annual Legislative Day, and we're excited to continue our efforts to untax groceries. Arise's Carol Gundlach talks about steps you can take to contact your lawmakers on this issue if you can't be there in person.
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Arise legislative recap: Feb. 14, 2020
Alabama borrowers suffered a setback Wednesday when a Senate committee blocked a payday lending reform bill. Policy analyst Dev Wakeley talks about what happened and where we go from here.
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In a setback for Alabama borrowers, Senate committee blocks payday lending reform bill
Nearly three in four Alabamians support a strict 36% interest rate cap on payday loans. But public sentiment wasn’t enough Wednesday to convince a state Senate committee to approve even a modest new consumer protection. The Senate Banking and Insurance Committee voted 8-6 against SB 58, also known as the 30 Days to Pay bill. [...]
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Why we’re spreading the word about the Census across Alabama
Filling out your Census form is quick and easy. It only takes about 10 minutes to answer 10 questions. You won’t have to do it again for 10 years. And your answers are completely confidential. It may not seem like much, but the stakes are high. The accuracy of Alabama’s 2020 Census count will shape [...]
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Arise legislative recap: Feb. 7, 2020
The Alabama Legislature's 2020 regular session has begun, and we're excited about the opportunities ahead to make life better for struggling Alabamians. Arise's Pres Harris explains why we need you with us at Legislative Day on Feb. 25. She also highlights some early progress on payday lending reform.
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How Alabama can reform its criminal justice system to work for everyone
Alabamians deserve a justice system that sentences fairly, provides helpful rehabilitative services and keeps people safe during incarceration. But Alabama often falls catastrophically short of fulfilling those obligations. Our state’s prisons are violent and poorly staffed. As a result, they often function as little more than warehouses to keep people locked up until their sentences [...]
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Arise 2020: Our vision for a better Alabama
Alabama Arise members have worked for more than three decades to build a brighter, more inclusive future for our state. And as the Legislature’s 2020 regular session starts Tuesday, we’re proud to renew that commitment. Below, Arise executive director Robyn Hyden highlights some key goals for the session, including Medicaid expansion and untaxing groceries. How [...]
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Medicaid block grants are a dangerous path toward coverage cuts
The federal Medicaid changes announced Thursday won’t affect anyone now enrolled in Alabama Medicaid. But they could put coverage at risk in the years ahead for hundreds of thousands of Alabamians. This is a worrisome step down a road to increased human suffering and greater financial strain for struggling families. Guidance from the Centers for [...]
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Arise 2020: End Alabama’s state grocery tax and protect school funding
The Bible says that “to everything there is a season.” And we’re increasingly optimistic that the season has finally arrived for real tax reform in Alabama. For more than a decade, Alabama Arise has worked to end the state’s 4% sales tax on groceries. It’s a regressive, punitive tax that costs struggling Alabamians the equivalent [...]