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.

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Blog

A membership base that looks like Alabama

At Alabama Arise, people are our power. As a member, you are part of a network that drives our shared vision of a state where all people have resources to reach their potential. Collectively, you vote on our policy priorities, stay informed through our Daily News Digest and legislative updates, and advocate for fair public [...]
Date
March 6, 2023
Author
Jacob Smith
Blog

How Alabama can protect health coverage during the Medicaid ‘unwinding’ period

In 2020, we watched as the COVID-19 pandemic changed the world. Many of us searched for toilet paper, stocked up on groceries and spent a lot of quality time in our homes as we sheltered in place. But the world did not change only in our daily lives. This public health emergency (PHE) also led [...]
Issues
Health, Coronavirus, Medicaid Expansion
Date
February 24, 2023
Author
Jennifer Harris
Blog

End of emergency SNAP allotments will increase hunger in Alabama

For many of us, the first months of the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted nearly all of normal life. Businesses closed, either temporarily or permanently. People lost jobs and income. Children were not attending school in person. And millions of Americans were suddenly facing an unexpected problem: hunger. Temporary increases to Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits [...]
Issues
Health, Safety Net, Tax Reform
Date
February 13, 2023
Author
Carol Gundlach
Fact Sheet

The workforce benefits of Medicaid expansion in Alabama

For nearly a decade, Alabama has been outside looking in on a good deal. While hundreds of thousands of Alabamians continue to struggle without health insurance, state leaders have failed to expand Medicaid. A few loud voices have politicized an issue that never should have been political. And our state has paid the price in [...]
Issues
Health, Economic Opportunity, Medicaid Expansion
Date
February 6, 2023
Author
Mike Nicholson
Blog

Highlights from Cover Alabama’s health fair in Fort Payne

Cover Alabama and Alabama Arise hosted a health fair and a panel on Medicaid expansion in Fort Payne in November 2022. Hear from Arise's Cover Alabama campaign director Debbie Smith and other community members about why we held the health fair and why Medicaid expansion would save and improve lives in DeKalb County and across [...]
Issue
Health
Date
January 9, 2023
Author
Matt Okarmus
Blog

Vote ‘Yes’ on Alabama’s recompiled state constitution!

We're less than a week away from the general election! One of the most important issues on the ballot in Alabama is the Constitution of Alabama of 2022. This recompilation of the current constitution would clean up and consolidate the document and delete racist language and illegal provisions. In a new video, Arise policy analyst [...]
Issue
Other
Date
November 3, 2022
Author
Alabama Arise
Blog

Learn about Hunger Free Alabama

Alabama Arise is proud to have joined with groups across the state as partners in the Hunger Free Alabama coalition. Our goal is bold and essential: to prevent and eliminate hunger and malnutrition in Alabama through advocacy for better public policies. In our new video, coalition members Drew Glover and Celsa Allende Stallworth discuss Hunger [...]
Issues
Health, Safety Net
Date
October 31, 2022
Author
Alabama Arise
Blog

Congress should make the Child Tax Credit expansion permanent

Good public policy is vital in the fight against poverty, and U.S. Census data released last month demonstrates its importance. The 2021 Child Tax Credit (CTC) expansion is uplifting proof of how better policies can reduce poverty and ease suffering. And Congress needs to renew this expansion when it returns to Washington, D.C., after the [...]
Issues
Safety Net, Tax Reform, Economic Opportunity
Date
October 20, 2022
Author
Mike Nicholson
Blog

Alabama Arise resources for the 2022 general election

The 2022 general election will be held Tuesday, Nov. 8 – less than three weeks from today. Alabamians will vote on a range of local, state and federal offices, including the governor, state legislators, a U.S. Senate seat and U.S. House members. Voters also will decide on a proposed recompilation of the state constitution and [...]
Issue
Voting Rights
Date
October 20, 2022
Author
Alabama Arise
Blog

A sincere thank you

As I reflect on our 2022 Annual Meeting and dive into planning for our 2023 agenda, I simply want to say thank you for your generous contributions, advocacy and support. This July marked the beginning of my fifth year as executive director, and next year will mark 35 years since Alabama Arise was founded. The [...]
Date
October 13, 2022
Author
Robyn Hyden