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
New Medicaid expansion incentive clears the path to a healthier Alabama
The American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 answers a question Alabama policymakers have been asking for years: How can we pay for Medicaid expansion? It’s a solution that lawmakers should embrace immediately to build a better, healthier future for our state. And it’s a step you can urge the governor to take today. An incentive [...]
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Arise legislative recap: March 12, 2021
Arise's Carol Gundlach breaks down the American Rescue Plan and what it means for Alabama families including expansions to the Child Tax Credit and EITC helping to reduce poverty across Alabama.
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Arise legislative recap: March 5, 2021
Arise's Dev Wakeley provides an update on recent setbacks and successes on voting rights bills at the Alabama Legislature. He also discusses the U.S. House's passage of the For the People Act, which would enact automatic voter registration and other changes to strengthen voters' access to the ballot. Voting rights is one of Arise's 2021 [...]
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Join us for Arise’s Membership Mondays!
Membership Mondays are an opportunity for Alabama Arise members to network and get more energized in our work together. In these online sessions, members will get the latest updates on the legislative session. Then they will break into groups to talk to other Arise members around the state. In the breakouts, participants can share about their advocacy [...]
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Arise legislative recap: Feb. 26, 2021
Arise's Jim Carnes discusses our new report, "The State of Working Alabama 2021," which looks at the COVID-19 pandemic's devastating impact on working Alabamians. The report also recommends Medicaid expansion, guaranteed paid sick leave, funding for the Alabama Housing Trust Fund and other policy changes that would chart a course forward toward an Alabama built [...]
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Arise legislative recap: Feb. 16, 2021
Arise executive director Robyn Hyden breaks down the first two weeks in the Alabama Legislature's 2021 regular session and outlines Arise's goals for this session. Legislators have prioritized protecting corporations over workers so far this month, even as hundreds of thousands of Alabamians continue to struggle with hunger and hardship during the COVID-19 recession.
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Beyond hunger and poverty: An introduction to the Emerson Fellows at Alabama Arise
[caption id="attachment_4780" align="aligncenter" width="700"] Kate Blankinship and Curtis Hills pause for a photo after completing a mile run.[/caption] This is a post by Kate Blankinship and Curtis Hills. Kate and Curtis are Emerson National Hunger Fellows from the Congressional Hunger Center. They have joined Alabama Arise to assist our work on policies to reduce hunger [...]
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How Alabama Arise is working to build a brighter future after the pandemic
After a year of darkness, the light at the end of the tunnel is finally in sight. Promising vaccine news offers hope that public health officials can rein in COVID-19 in the coming months. And as our state and nation seek policy solutions to rebuild from the pandemic’s health and economic devastation, Alabama Arise will [...]
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Join us at Alabama Arise’s 2021 action briefings!
Alabama’s 2021 legislative session begins Feb. 2. It will not proceed as usual given the extraordinary times in which we live. But we still need to be prepared to move our issues forward. This series of briefings will both inform and equip us to act strategically to continue the work for a better Alabama for [...]
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Dignity, equity and opportunity for all Alabamians
Giving Tuesday is a day devoted to supporting organizations that improve our communities. On this #GivingTuesday and in the weeks to come, I’d like to encourage you to consider joining Alabama Arise’s movement for a more just and inclusive Alabama. So many people in our communities are struggling to stay healthy and provide for their [...]