A note on this year’s Annual Meeting voting

By Robyn Hyden, executive director

Alabama Arise strives to center the experiences and needs of low-income and working-class members in our work. We invite our members to participate in listening sessions, propose new legislative priorities and vote to set our legislative agenda during our Annual Meeting each fall.

It’s important that you, our members, drive and determine our legislative priorities. When member groups propose new issues and make the case at our annual membership meeting for them to join our agenda, participants have to make hard choices about which issues you think matter the most.

But this year, we didn’t receive any new proposed legislative priorities to add to our agenda. Rather, several groups have proposed adding new strategies under our existing priorities.

We still value your feedback and participation in setting this agenda. But this year’s voting will look a bit different. During the Annual Meeting, our staff will update you on the strategies and bills we have pursued under each of our current legislative priorities, which also are outlined in this month’s newsletter.

We will send you an electronic ballot to endorse the current legislative agenda. We’ll also ask you to rank the individual bills and strategies under each issue that you would like to see Arise prioritize in our collective advocacy.

Our agenda is stronger with your participation. Thank you for all the time and experience you share with us to shape our agenda and make our vision a reality.

Annual Meeting to chart Arise’s course for 2025

By Matt Okarmus, communications associate

Grassroots democracy will be on display when Alabama Arise members help shape our 2025 legislative priorities at our Annual Meeting on Saturday, Sept. 28. There will be options to meet both in person and online via Zoom.

As a member, you have the power to select how we pursue our 2025 legislative priorities. We have no new proposed priorities this year, but members will rank proposed strategies under each existing priority. Members also will vote on a proposed bylaw change. 

Below, you’ll find more information on the Annual Meeting. We will be meeting again at the Legacy Annex in Montgomery. You’ll also see our policy staff’s overviews of Arise’s legislative priorities, including our two permanent priorities: adequate state budgets and tax reform.

We hope you join us as we gather to renew our shared commitment to building a better Alabama for all!

Things to know for our Annual Meeting

When:

Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024
10 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Where:

This is a hybrid event with options to attend in person as well as remotely via Zoom. The in-person meeting will be at The Legacy Annex, 115 Coosa St., Montgomery, AL 36104. This is the former site of the Equal Justice Initiative’s Legacy Museum. Visit alarise.org/annualmeeting2024 to find more details and registration information. There is no cost to attend, though donations are welcome.

Proposed bylaw change:

Arise members will be asked to vote on the following bylaw change:

Proposed revision: “All members of the Board of Directors shall serve a term of three years and terms will be staggered. Successive terms are permitted.”

Current language: “All members of the Board of Directors shall serve a term of three years and terms will be staggered. One successive term is permitted. After a one-year absence a person would be eligible to serve again.”

For more information:

If you have any questions, call 334-832-9060 or email info@alarise.org.

Permanent Arise legislative priorities

Adequate state budgets

We hear it too often at the Legislature: “It’s a bad budget year. Revenues are down.” So the last few years have been a pleasant relief as revenue growth has allowed greater budget flexibility.

But with more opportunities to invest in essential services also comes more potential to reroute money in harmful ways. Alabama Arise will advocate for legislators to choose a positive path when writing the 2026 budgets.

The Education Trust Fund (ETF) budget saw a relatively small revenue increase this year. ETF receipts grew 1.7%, or $136 million, over last year’s record. This growth was enough to give legislators more flexibility in crafting an education budget, but it was insufficient to allow another 1-cent reduction in the state grocery tax – an Arise priority. In a positive note, lawmakers allocated the administrative funding needed to provide Summer EBT nutrition benefits for more than 500,000 Alabama children starting in summer 2025.

The Legislature unfortunately used ETF flexibility in a bad way in 2024 by passing the CHOOSE Act. This law will divert at least $100 million annually away from our public schools and toward private schools and homeschooling. And lawmakers could increase that amount significantly in future years.

The General Fund (GF) budget, which funds Medicaid and other non-education services, saw 7.6% revenue growth this year, or $194 million. But this growth has been spurred primarily by high interest rates on state deposits. Those returns could decline if the Federal Reserve reduces interest rates this fall.

Despite healthier revenue growth this year, decades of underfunded GF services have created many unmet needs. In July and August budget hearings, GF agency leaders explained some of those needs:

• The Department of Corrections, under federal order to hire more guards, will not meet a court-ordered deadline to make those hires.
• Alabama’s turnover rate for child welfare workers exceeds 50% per year. The Department of Human Resources (DHR) also lacks essential mental health services for children and teens in its care.
• Our state needs significantly more funding for crisis services, including crisis centers and teams. The Department of Mental Health also noted increased demand for the 988 suicide prevention hotline. Grace Presbyterian Church, an Arise member group in Tuscaloosa, has urged us to prioritize efforts to secure dedicated state funding for mental health services provided by the 988 hotline next year.
• The Department of Public Health will need an additional $34 million for ALL Kids health insurance to cover children disenrolled from Medicaid during its recent “unwinding.”

Alabama lawmakers will confront all these needs and more in 2025. Arise will be there to urge them to meet the critical needs of Alabamians and the agencies that serve them.

Tax reform

Alabama’s failure to fund essential public services is a direct consequence of our upside-down tax system. This system requires the most from those least able to pay. It gives tax breaks to wealthy households and fails to raise the revenue we need.

In 2023 and 2024, the Legislature passed tax cuts pulling as much as $558 million out of the education budget alone. Arise member group Jobs to Move America has urged us to prioritize legislation next year to claw back tax incentives from companies that violate child labor laws.

One of the most egregious tax giveaways this year was the CHOOSE Act. This law will provide at least $100 million a year for private schools and homeschooling – money taken directly from our public schools. Meanwhile, the state grocery tax remains stuck at 3% because annual education revenue growth did not meet the statutorily required 3.5% to reduce it by another cent this year.

Arise has long supported a replacement for the grocery tax that also would boost school funding. Capping or eliminating the federal income tax deduction would allow us to remove the state sales tax on groceries. It also would make our state’s tax system fairer and increase funding for our public schools.

Alabama legislators may have to include tax reform as they discuss proposals to reweigh our per-pupil education funding formula to benefit schools, students and communities with the greatest needs. Arise is an active participant in these discussions, and we will share more information as it becomes available.

Compiled by Carol Gundlach, senior policy analyst

Current Arise legislative priorities and strategies

Criminal justice reform

Arise was happy to partner with allies to improve Alabama’s criminal justice system this year with the passage of HB 275 by Rep. Cynthia Almond, R-Tuscaloosa. This law will strengthen Alabama’s indigent defense system so it can better serve more Alabamians with low incomes.

Other criminal justice reform legislation made progress through the Legislature before falling short during the 2024 session. That included HB 29 by Rep. Chris England, D-Tuscaloosa. This “second chance” bill would have reformed the state’s Habitual Felony Offender Act, commonly referred to as the “three-strikes” law. Arise was encouraged to see a House committee approve the bill this year. We expect to see and support similar legislation next year.

In 2023, Arise expanded our scope of work in this area to include efforts to reform Alabama’s felony murder law. Under this law, a person can be convicted of first-degree murder even if they did not intend to or did not actually kill anyone. A disproportionate share of people convicted under felony murder laws are people of color, research from several states has found.

England filed HB 32 to clarify the circumstances under which felony murder may be charged and to make other related changes. HB 32 stalled after a public hearing this year, but we expect to see and support similar legislation next year.

Arise member group Greater Birmingham Ministries has urged us to prioritize parole reform legislation in our reform work next year. This legislation would establish formal criteria for parole decisions and allow applicants to attend hearings in person or by video. The bill also would require the parole board to cite explicit reasons for not releasing incarcerated people who have fulfilled certain legal requirements.

Death penalty reform

Lawmakers in 2024 debated legislation to address Alabama’s unjust death penalty laws. Alabama is one of only two states to permit the issuance of death sentences via non-unanimous jury sentencing decisions. 

Arise this year supported SB 182 by Sen. Kirk Hatcher, D-Montgomery, which would have aligned the state with the national trend of requiring a unanimous jury verdict prior to imposing the death penalty. Unfortunately, this bill did not move out of the Senate Judiciary Committee. 

Similarly, the House Judiciary Committee vigorously debated HB 27 by Rep. Chris England, D-Tuscaloosa, but failed to move it to the full House. The bill would have applied the state’s ban on judicial override in capital cases retroactively.

This ban forbids judges from imposing a death sentence when the jury recommends a lesser sentence. Unfortunately, when passed in 2017, the law didn’t apply to people already on death row. That has left more than 30 people on Alabama’s death row who received a death sentence against their jury’s will. We hope to see both pieces of legislation reintroduced and considered next year.

Maternal and infant health care

Arise’s work to improve maternal and infant health outcomes for Alabama moms amped up after members added this priority to our agenda in 2024. The needs are vast: Alabama consistently ranks near the bottom for maternal mortality, preterm birth rate and infant mortality. And Black mothers are twice as likely to face these outcomes.

Unfortunately, general health care access perils are magnified during pregnancy, childbirth and the postpartum period. Access to care before pregnancy has a direct connection to health outcomes for mothers and infants. Ensuring Alabamians can access health care early in their pregnancies increases the chance they can address any issues with preventive and less invasive procedures. Equally as compelling, the support a family receives during the postpartum period promotes stability in mental and overall health.

Arise this year supported HB 77 by Rep. Phillip Rigsby, R-Huntsville, a new law that increased the number of conditions for which newborn babies are screened. We also backed two paid parental leave bills that made progress. HB 309 by Rep. Ginny Shaver, R-Leesburg, which as amended would have provided six weeks of leave for state employees, passed the House and won Senate committee approval. SB 305 by Sen. Vivian Figures, D-Mobile, which as amended would have extended six weeks of leave to teachers, also received Senate committee approval.

Arise will keep advocating for Medicaid expansion and for paid family medical leave, including in cases of miscarriage or stillbirth. These policies would help prevent closures of maternity wards, provide a healthier start to pregnancies and provide greater comprehensive support during the postpartum period. The time is now to ensure healthier communities by investing in Alabama’s mothers and their families.

Public transportation

Public transportation is a vital public good. Adequate transit enables and enhances every aspect of life. Public transit empowers people to get to work, see their doctors, run to the grocery store, vote and stay connected. Inadequate transit is a persistent barrier for Alabamians with disabilities and for older Alabamians.

But Alabama hasn’t funded the Public Transportation Trust Fund since creating it almost a decade ago. That needs to change. The state leaves millions of federal matching dollars on the table every year because of failing to invest in transit. Every dollar of state money could get $1 in federal match for operations costs like driver salaries and $4 in match for capital improvements like buses.

Two good options exist for fixing this problem. One solution would be for the state to appropriate $50 million from the General Fund to improve transit systems. This would avoid reluctance to increase fees and license costs but wouldn’t provide a long-term fix.

The state also could fund public transit with a $5 surcharge for vehicle tags, either for all cars or for vehicles used in commerce. This option would provide a dedicated funding path but is a tougher legislative route because of reluctance to increase costs at the point of tag purchase.

Voting rights

Arise and advocacy partners this year fought SB 1 by Sen. Garlan Gudger, R-Cullman, which poses a serious threat to voting rights in Alabama. Despite our efforts, SB 1 passed and will criminalize many efforts to assist voters with absentee voting. We will continue to support efforts to overturn SB 1 and to limit the harmful impact of this law.

Lawmakers considered but did not pass legislation to make absentee voting more equitable this year. HB 64 by Rep. Kenyatte Hassell, D-Montgomery, would have allowed voters to cure defects in absentee ballot affidavits when needed. Though this legislation ultimately did not make it out of the House Constitution, Campaigns and Elections Committee, it was significant that a bill to improve voting access received committee discussion.

This year also saw continued efforts to improve the voting rights restoration process for people who previously lost their right to vote due to a felony conviction. A Senate committee approved SB 174 by Sen. Linda Coleman-Madison, D-Birmingham, but the full Senate did not vote on it. We look forward to working with the bill’s sponsors and other advocates to strategize ways to help get this legislation across the finish line next year.

Compiled by Mike Nicholson, senior policy analyst; Jennifer Harris, senior health policy advocate; and Dev Wakeley, worker policy advocate.

Pres Harris celebrates three decades of organizing and community involvement

By Whitney Washington, communications associate

When Presdelane Harris started at Alabama Arise as the phone organizer in summer 1994, she had no idea what the next 30 years had in store. She didn’t intend on being at Arise for long.

“Maybe doing this for a little while, maybe one or two years,” she said.

Pres makes it clear that no matter her journey to Arise, this is where she was meant to be.

“God placed me here. This is not where I ever thought I’d be,” she said.

At Auburn University at Montgomery, Pres majored in justice and public safety and later added a master’s degree in management from Troy University. She considered law school before getting plugged into Arise.

Pres has worn lots of hats since starting at Arise, having “just about every job” at the organization. From phone organizer and office manager to organizing director, where she has helped Arise’s membership grow to reach 53 of Alabama’s 67 counties, Pres has seen the evolution of not just Arise, but Alabama politics as a whole.

“The Legislature was actually a little more diverse then,” she said. “It didn’t feel like it does now.”

Alabama can be a trying place to work on Arise’s issues. What is it that’s kept Pres going? 

“The cumulative impact of seeing people get engaged and being excited,” she said. “The biggest lesson I’ve learned is that you really do have to meet people where they are.”

“Our members are diverse in a lot of ways, but we all come together under our mission to advance policies to improve the lives of people marginalized by poverty,” Pres said. “When you’re talking to folks on the ground, people are just people.”

After 30 years at Arise, including 22 as the organizing director, Pres still has big dreams.  

“I would like us to grow our organizing team more,” she said. “The field is wide open.

While growing the number of organizers on staff is always a goal, deepening relationships is critical to Pres’ vision.

“The reason we have organizers on staff is to grow in depth as well as reach,” she said. 

Taking care of ourselves is a priority for many Arise staff, and Pres is no different. Her faith is essential to her work. 

“Living out my values is a way of taking care of myself. I take seriously the idea of being at peace,” she said. That peace grounds me when everything around is in chaos.”

Anyone who knows Pres knows that cruises are also a big part of her self-care practice. She typically takes two cruises a year with her family. Her next one will be to Costa Maya in Mexico in December.

As far as organizing work, Pres keeps her eye on new technology. From implementing our first database years ago to working on a new texting platform now, she’s always seeking out ways to engage new people into our mission.

“In two text banks, we sent 23,000 texts,” she said. “There was genuine interest. We’re always open to innovative ideas about engaging the most directly impacted folks.”

And what would she like to see in the next 30 years? 

“Thirty years from now, I’d like to see our mission having to change because we have fewer people who are marginalized by poverty,” Pres said. “Ideally, we’ll work ourselves out of a job.”

How Alabama can build an economy that works for workers

By Dev Wakeley, worker policy advocate

Working people – and the unions that workers form to build power together – have made enormous contributions to the well-being of all Americans. These contributions include overtime pay, a five-day workweek, child labor protections and workplace safety standards.

These advances didn’t come easily. Workers won them through strikes, pressure and solidarity. And the fight continues. In Alabama, workers fought this year against anti-union legislation and a measure to reduce child labor protections.

Low wages, substandard worker protections and miserly leave policies all contribute to the job quality problem. Policymakers also have failed to invest adequately in structural supports that would empower workers to better their situations.

We can move toward a better economy with better policy choices. Alabama lawmakers should remove workforce participation barriers through Medicaid expansion and stronger investments in child care, housing and public transportation. And employers should do their part by increasing wages, ensuring paid sick leave and parental leave, and ending hostility to workers’ efforts to unionize.

Policymakers and businesses should move beyond the low-road strategies that have Alabama spinning its wheels on improving quality of life for the people who keep the state running. By investing in a high-road economic structure that uplifts workers, we can build an Alabama we’re all proud to call home.

Click here to read the full version of this article.

Expanding Medicaid would save moms and babies

By Debbie Smith, Cover Alabama campaign director

Where you live shouldn’t impact whether you get health care. But many women face preventable barriers to obtaining maternal health care in Alabama. Closing Alabama’s health coverage gap through Medicaid expansion is an essential part of the solution.

Alabama has experienced a steady rate of labor and delivery department closures in recent years, creating maternity care deserts. More than one-third of Alabama counties are maternity care deserts, with some people having to drive up to 100 miles to reach the nearest labor and delivery department. Since October 2023, at least four hospitals have closed their labor and delivery departments. Grove Hill Memorial Hospital in Clarke County became the latest addition to that list last month.

The closure of accessible labor and delivery departments is dangerous for mothers and babies. When rural hospitals close their obstetric units, pregnant women in those areas are forced to travel long distances for maternity services. The farther a woman must travel to receive maternity care, the greater the risk of maternal morbidity and adverse infant outcomes.

Expanding Medicaid would help strengthen access to maternity care providers by improving rural hospitals’ overall finances, which could reduce the number of labor and delivery department closures in the state. Medicaid expansion would increase the number of insured patients, reducing the amount of uncompensated care that hospitals provide. Research shows that a rural hospital being located in a Medicaid expansion state decreases the likelihood it will close by an average of 62%. Protecting rural hospitals helps the whole community.

Alabama has the highest maternal mortality rate in the nation. Similarly, Alabama has the nation’s third highest infant death rate. The infant mortality rate for Black babies is 1.5 times higher than the state average and nearly twice as high as the rate for white babies. Similarly, Black mothers in Alabama are twice as likely to die during childbirth as their white counterparts.

Medicaid expansion can help address the high maternal mortality rate and health disparities in Alabama by ensuring continuous coverage before, during and after pregnancy. Expanding Medicaid would provide more women with access to regular prenatal checkups. Research shows that adoption of Medicaid expansion is associated with lower rates of maternal mortality, and reduction in infant mortality as well. It’s time for Alabama to invest in a healthier future for mothers and children by expanding Medicaid.

Diverse membership is our power

By Jacob Smith, advancement and operations director

As an Alabama Arise member, you use your power to help create a more equitable Alabama. Every year at our Annual Meeting, our members choose our legislative priorities and fuel our advocacy efforts.

Because you are so important to our work, we want you to know who your fellow members are. We have more than 1,700 members across the state in more than three-quarters of Alabama counties. And we have set goals to diversify our membership to be more reflective of Alabama’s demographics and the concerns of folks living paycheck to paycheck.

We’re making strong progress on those goals. Through our membership survey (which you can fill out at alarise.org/membership-survey), we have learned 27% of our members are people with low incomes, 6% are people under age 30 and 32% are people of color.

If you’re ready to deepen your commitment, I want to invite you to join a group of our members who sustain our work year-round: our recurring donors. More than 200 people give monthly to Arise because they know it’s important for us to have the flexibility needed to focus year-round on the priorities that members like you choose.

Will you join this steadfast group? Our most common monthly gift is $10! Visit alarise.org/donate to set up a recurring gift online. Thank you for being a member!

Arise empowers advocates through Think Big Alabama training

By Chris Sanders, communications director

Alabama Arise partnered with Alabama Values this summer to launch Think Big Alabama: Empowering Voices for Change. This four-part grassroots advocacy training program equipped participants with skills in media, public policy and organizing. Members of the inaugural cohort completed action plans for their efforts to drive change on numerous community and statewide issues. Above: Arise’s Pres Harris and Chris Sanders (back row, first two on left) pose with Think Big Alabama participants and staff from Alabama Values and the National Park Service after the final training session Aug. 24 at the Montgomery Interpretive Center on the Alabama State University campus. (Photo courtesy of Alabama Values)

Summer EBT, Legislative Day energy highlight busy, tough 2024 session in Alabama

By Chris Sanders, communications director | chris@alarise.org

You made a difference! Alabama Arise members played a decisive role this year in securing summer food assistance for more than 500,000 children starting in summer 2025. Summer EBT funding brought an uplifting conclusion to the Alabama Legislature’s 2024 regular session, which ended May 9.

The Summer EBT victory showed the power of Arise’s policy analysis, organizing and advocacy. After the House passed an education budget without Summer EBT funding, Arise ramped up pressure on the Senate. Our policy team and lobbyists educated lawmakers about the program’s benefits. Our communications team generated dozens of media stories to build public support. And our organizers rallied Alabamians to speak out.

Ultimately, folks like you got Summer EBT funding across the finish line. Arise advocates flooded lawmakers with more than 2,700 emails, calls and personal visits urging support. And it worked: Senators added Summer EBT to the budget, and Gov. Kay Ivey signed it into law.

Our members also displayed their passion for change during Arise’s annual Legislative Day on April 2. More than 230 people packed the State House in support of our Cover Alabama campaign to close Alabama’s health coverage gap.

Lawmakers dealt setbacks to several Arise legislative priorities this year but made important progress on others. Through it all, our members kept speaking out for policies to improve the lives of Alabamians marginalized by poverty.

Setbacks on school funding, voting rights, racial equity

Early in the session, legislators enacted three harmful new laws, all of which Arise opposed. One was the CHOOSE Act (HB 129 by Rep. Danny Garrett, R-Trussville). Over time, this law could divert hundreds of millions of dollars annually from public schools to private schools and homeschooling.

Another bad bill rushed into law was SB 1 by Sen. Garlan Gudger, R-Cullman, which criminalizes several forms of assistance with absentee ballot applications. Arise and other advocates fear this law could have a chilling effect on good-faith efforts to assist people who need help exercising their voting rights.

A third shortsighted new law is SB 129 by Sen. Will Barfoot, R-Pike Road. The act forbids state agencies and public schools and universities from sponsoring numerous diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programs. It also authorizes firings of employees found to violate the act knowingly. In late May, Jacksonville State University became the first university to close its DEI office in response to this law.

Later, legislators passed two new laws that undermine worker protections. SB 53 by Sen. Arthur Orr, R-Decatur, removes the requirement for an eligibility to work form for 14- and 15-year-olds. And Orr’s SB 231 makes companies ineligible for state or local tax incentives if they voluntarily recognize a union.

Good new laws on child care, housing, criminal justice reform

One positive workers’ rights law this year was SB 119 by Sen. Robert Stewart, D-Selma, which increases penalties for child labor violations. The Legislature also created tax credits designed to increase access to child care (HB 358 by Rep. Anthony Daniels, D-Huntsville) and workforce housing (HB 346 by Rep. Cynthia Almond, R-Tuscaloosa). And Orr’s SB 270 improved access to public records.

Lawmakers also enacted two good criminal justice and due process reforms. Almond’s HB 275 will increase pay for many lawyers representing indigent defendants. And HB 188 by Rep. Terri Collins, R-Decatur, requires a uniform hearing process and hearing rights for students suspended or expelled from public K-12 schools.

The work continues

Several other Arise-backed bills made major progress but came up just short of passage. HB 29 by Rep. Chris England, D-Tuscaloosa (allowing resentencing hearings for some defendants convicted under the Habitual Felony Offender Act) won House committee approval. Orr’s SB 62 (removing state sales tax from many infant and maternity products) passed the Senate but never reached the House floor. And HB 309 by Rep. Ginny Shaver, R-Leesburg (providing paid parental leave for state employees) passed the House but died on the Senate calendar.

With your support, Arise will keep advocating for important policy changes like these in 2025 and beyond. We will keep working to expand Medicaid and eliminate the state grocery tax. And we will keep strengthening our movement for a better, more inclusive Alabama.

Join us for Town Hall Tuesdays!

By Presdelane Harris, organizing director | pres@alarise.org

Listening is both a value and process foundational to Arise’s approach to shaping and advancing policies that matter most to those marginalized by poverty.

Arise depends on what we hear to help guide our work toward a better Alabama. That’s why our virtual Town Hall Tuesdays return this year. These events are a chance for you to receive updates and share your vision for our 2025 priorities.

Join us online July 16 and Aug. 6. We’re listening! Visit alarise.org/2024townhalltuesdays to register for one or both sessions.

Arise organizers are also available to meet with groups in person. Email me at pres@alarise.org to get connected.

Annual Meeting: Save the date

Mark your calendars for Arise’s Annual Meeting, online and at The Legacy Annex in Montgomery from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 28. Member groups can submit 2025 issue proposals until Aug. 9 at 11:59 p.m. CDT. We’ll share more details about the meeting and issue proposal process soon.

Maternal health hits home

By Robyn Hyden, executive director | robyn@alarise.org

When Arise members convened at last year’s Annual Meeting to choose our 2024 legislative priorities, you voted to add maternal and infant health to our agenda. Most people didn’t know I was nearly eight weeks pregnant with my first child at the time!

As our team studied how we could improve maternal and infant health outcomes through our advocacy and organizing, we learned a lot from you, our partners and our new maternal health fellow.

Little did I know that what I was learning about maternal and infant health would soon affect me personally. At a routine 28-week checkup, I was diagnosed with severe preeclampsia, one of the leading causes of maternal death. Soon after, my son Hank was born three months early, causing him to spend more than 80 days in UAB’s Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU).

While Hank and I are home now, happy and healthy, we were extremely lucky. Too many moms lack access to routine prenatal and postpartum care, transportation and paid family leave. I saw firsthand how many were struggling in our state’s only Level 4 NICU. I learned that around 10% of babies born in the United States will spend some time in the NICU. In a state that claims to care about babies, mothers and families still do not have the support they need. This causes us to have the third-worst rate of maternal mortality in the country. 

My family was lucky to have the support we needed. I wish the same for all those who wish to become parents. Together, Arise members envision a state where everyone has the support they need to have the family they choose. Thank you for pushing our leaders to make this a reality.

Summer EBT passage a hard-fought win for Alabama children

By LaTrell Clifford Wood, hunger policy advocate | latrell@alarise.org

Alabama Arise members helped secure a policy change this year to reduce hunger for more than 500,000 children across the state. Beginning in summer 2025, eligible children ages 5-17 will receive $120 in Summer EBT benefits to continue to have school meals through the summer. The state must cover half of the administrative costs, but the benefits are 100% federally funded.

Children will be automatically eligible to receive Summer EBT benefits if their household receives assistance under Medicaid, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) and/or the Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations (FDPIR). Foster children and children experiencing homelessness also will qualify automatically. Applications will be required for all other eligible children.

Arise advocacy builds momentum

Rep. Laura Hall, D-Huntsville, was the first legislator to inquire about Summer EBT this session during February’s budget hearings. Hall offered an amendment to the Education Trust Fund (ETF) budget to add Summer EBT administrative funding. But the House approved the budget without it.

Arise then kicked advocacy efforts into high gear. Hundreds of our supporters demanded that their senators support Summer EBT funding, and Arise generated dozens of media stories to increase public awareness and pressure. Reports from Senate secretaries and members foreshadowed Summer EBT’s success. Several said they were overwhelmed by the number of emails and calls they were receiving.

Legislative supporters kept up the push, too. Hall joined Rep. Barbara Drummond, D-Mobile, in efforts to build momentum for Summer EBT in the Senate. Sens. Vivian Figures, D-Mobile; Garlan Gudger, R-Cullman; and Rodger Smitherman, D-Birmingham, submitted requests to add an ETF line item for Summer EBT.

A victory to reduce hunger in Alabama

Arise and other Hunger Free Alabama coalition members made their case directly to the Senate’s ETF budget committee April 25, testifying in support of Summer EBT. Our advocacy worked. The following week, the committee added $10 million for the Department of Human Resources to administer Summer EBT in partnership with the state Department of Education.

The full Senate approved the budget 30-0 in early May. And after a brief jump-scare moment when lawmakers delayed the bill in a conference committee, the House and Senate both voted unanimously for the final budget – including the Summer EBT funding – on May 9, the session’s final day. Gov. Kay Ivey signed the budget into law on May 15.

Arise is relieved by the great news that Alabama children and families will be able to participate in this essential program in summer 2025. And we are inundated with gratitude for our members and partners who responded to our action alerts. Your advocacy made the difference!

Building momentum for closing the coverage gap

By Debbie Smith, Cover Alabama campaign director | debbie@alarise.org

Alabama Arise and the Cover Alabama coalition have built powerful momentum to expand Medicaid and close the state’s health coverage gap in recent months.

Arise held a news conference with our partners at the March of Dimes and Alabama Rural Health Association during our annual Legislative Day in April. The event highlighted how Medicaid expansion could improve infant and mortality rates in our state and keep rural hospitals open. More than 230 individuals from across the state attended and spoke up in support of the nearly 300,000 Alabamians who need health coverage.

In another encouraging development, the House and Senate Health Committees held a joint meeting in late April to hear from other states about their efforts to close the health coverage gap. This hearing was a platform for legislators and experts to explore potential solutions, drawing insights from successful initiatives in Arkansas and North Carolina.

‘Their loved one is now getting help’

Key figures from North Carolina, such as state Sen. Jim Burgin, shared their state’s journey in closing the coverage gap. Burgin, a vocal opponent of Medicaid expansion in the past, highlighted the overwhelming gratitude from individuals receiving assistance.

“I live in a very rural and very conservative area,” Burgin said during the hearing. “I have not had one person that has come up to me and told me, ‘Jim, you shouldn’t have done that, and we’re against you for doing that.’ But I’ve had hundreds of people come up to me and thank me because their loved one is now getting help.”

The meeting seemed to drive a shift in attitudes among some conservative legislators. Many have expressed an openness to exploring avenues for closing the coverage gap.

Meanwhile, we also celebrated the progress that Mississippi made in its efforts to close the coverage gap. In February, the Mississippi House voted 99-20 to expand Medicaid. While that bill ultimately did not pass in the Senate, Mississippi made incredible progress by bringing conservative lawmakers on board and making Medicaid expansion a hot topic in the state. Alabama legislators took notice, and Mississippi’s progress will put pressure on our legislators to move forward as well.

Looking forward

In the coming months, Cover Alabama will continue to beat the drum in support of Medicaid expansion. We are so grateful for your continued support. Together, we are making significant strides toward Medicaid expansion in Alabama.

Let’s continue to raise our voices, engage with lawmakers and advocate for equitable health care access for every Alabamian.

CHOOSE Act set to undermine funding for Alabama public schools

By Carol Gundlach, senior policy analyst | carol@alarise.org

The Alabama Legislature struck a major blow against public education this session by passing the CHOOSE Act. This law likely will drain hundreds of millions of dollars annually from public schools that have long struggled with underfunding. Alabama Arise testified twice against the bill, but conservative lawmakers moved quickly to enact it.

The act – HB 129 by Rep. Danny Garrett, R-Trussville – will divert at least $100 million every year from Alabama’s public schools. The law creates “education savings accounts” for parents to pay for private school or homeschooling.

In 2025 and 2026, only families with incomes at or below 300% of the federal poverty level will be eligible. But starting in 2027, the accounts will be available to all parents, no matter how wealthy the participating families are, and regardless of whether their children have ever attended public schools.

Begins next year

Beginning Jan. 1, 2025, Alabama will establish annual refundable tax credits of up to $7,000 per child for children enrolled in private schools and of up to $2,000 per child for children who are homeschooled. A refundable tax credit means parents whose children attend private school or who are homeschooled could receive more in private school vouchers than they pay in income taxes.

The bill establishes a CHOOSE Act Fund, which can accumulate as much as $500 million for private schools and homeschooling. That money otherwise would fund public education. Schools receiving these funds would have to meet licensure and testing requirements but would not have to use the same standardized tests that public schools do.

Looser requirements for participating schools

Participating schools are required not to discriminate on the basis of race, color or national origin. But the new law does not explicitly forbid discrimination on the basis of gender or gender identity. Participating schools also do not have to conform to admission or hiring policies, meaning they can deny admission to children with special needs and can hire uncertified teachers. Participating schools also are allowed to impose religious practices and criteria.

Voucher programs like the CHOOSE Act have been accompanied by steep declines in public school spending in multiple states, the Economic Policy Institute (EPI) found. These programs also have not improved educational outcomes, even for students enrolled in private schools, EPI found. EPI researchers concluded that “the only reason for this policy thrust is ideology rooted in hostility to public education.”

LaTrell Clifford Wood: Arise’s new star at the State House

By Whitney Washington, communications associate | whitney@alarise.org

The halls of the Alabama State House had a new face this legislative session.

LaTrell Clifford Wood started as Alabama Arise’s hunger policy advocate in November. Since then, the Stillman College graduate has worked tirelessly to ensure Alabama’s most marginalized residents have access to food. In her role, she advocates directly with lawmakers for legislation that supports getting food to the Alabamians who need it most. She also convenes the Hunger Free Alabama coalition of 88 organizations.

As the youngest member of the Arise staff, LaTrell offered up insights after her first legislative session.

“I think this session has really taught me to hold space for the world to grow, change and evolve, and find new room for hope,” she said. “You can have a resume that is really heavy with blue collar and service experience, and those experiences are meaningful. Those are ‘real jobs.’”

The intergenerational relationships with other Arise staff members proved to be helpful as she navigated an especially challenging session.

“I picked up gems of wisdom from people who have been doing this work a lot longer than me, and actualized the value that young people can bring to a space when they are treated as meaningful contributors,” LaTrell said.

Making use of opportunities

LaTrell grew up in Irondale, a city of about 13,000 near Birmingham, and is a proud HBCU grad. Her time at Stillman brought her into hunger advocacy work and a systemic framework for change.

“There are systems in place by which we lose wisdom with the people we love. So I said to myself, ‘Whatever I do, I have to take care of myself, and it has to be sustainable,’” LaTrell said. “Since I was a pandemic grad, I decided to take a break and explore more options, and that led me to Congressional Black Caucus Foundation [CBCF].”

Through the CBCF, LaTrell interned in U.S. Rep. Terri Sewell’s office in Washington, D.C. That is where she first learned of Alabama Arise.

“My team in Rep. Sewell’s office really advocated for me, and Akiesha [Anderson, Arise’s former policy and advocacy director] really opened the doors for me to Alabama politics, and made a safe space for me to come back home and grow and learn at Arise, and I am so grateful for her and the rest of Arise’s staff for welcoming me,” LaTrell said.

Telling her story

LaTrell’s advocacy this year helped secure $10 million in Summer EBT administrative funding for 2025. She finds that telling her personal stories to lawmakers has helped her in this work.

“It was really healing and energizing to talk to Sen. [Rodger] Smitherman, whose district I grew up in, about my experiences with hunger and its impact, and see him really stand 10 toes down for children across the state,” she said. “Countless children will have some measure of relief from hunger over the summer months, for generations to come. It’s hard to wrap my head around in more ways than one.”

After an impactful first legislative session, LaTrell has even bigger goals for Arise’s hunger advocacy work. Universal school breakfast is her next advocacy priority.

“I think the first step in that is leaning into securing a state appropriation to subsidize universal school breakfast in the next year,” she said.

LaTrell also said she hopes to help bring even more young people like her into the Alabama Arise fold.

“I look forward to building more avenues to meet young Alabamians where they are,” she said.

An optimistic look at Alabama

As a young Alabamian who returned to the state after working elsewhere, LaTrell said she wants the rest of the world to see what Alabama is really like.

“When I go out of state, a lot of people say, ‘You’re from Alabama?’ And there’s always a tone,” she said. “So my favorite experience is being able to school people on all the misconceptions they have, and all the contributions Alabamians and Alabama have made to the U.S. and the world.”

LaTrell is incredibly proud of her Alabama roots and how they’ve shaped her family.

“My family has been domestic refugees of the state, run out by racial violence during the first wave of the Great Migration. But somehow, we find our way back, and every generation, we have been able to make a meaningful difference. And that is worth being proud of,” she said.

How to get involved

For those looking to get involved with the critical work of feeding Alabamians, LaTrell has some suggestions.

Arise supporters who live in or have connections in Limestone and Morgan counties, as well as Opelika, can support hunger advocacy by talking with parents, educators and superintendents in their communities about the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP). More than 50% of the schools in these areas could serve universal school meals through CEP but are not. The deadline for schools to opt in for the upcoming school year is June 30.

“I encourage members to keep an eye out for hunger-related action alerts, and follow us on Facebook at Hunger Free Alabama!” LaTrell said.

Consider Arise in long-term planning

By Jacob Smith, advancement and operations director | jacob@alarise.org

Every year, members like you play a pivotal role in making progress toward our shared vision of an Alabama where everyone has the resources to live happy, productive lives. 

This year, together, we secured funding for Summer EBT for more than 500,000 children. Last year, we reduced the state grocery tax for every Alabamian.

Our long-term vision is a collective effort that requires members to give financially and take action. Your ongoing support, whether through a monthly or annual gift, helps us sustain our work year-round. We deeply appreciate your commitment.

Did you know you can help Arise secure its future beyond this year? There’s probably a type of gift that you haven’t considered: leaving us in your will.

Regardless of your income, making a will is an important step to ensure your end-of-life wishes are known. There are online tools that can help, and consulting a financial planner would be a great idea, too. You don’t even have to tell us that you included us, though we would be glad if you did!

We would love to share sample language or chat about the legacy you want to leave Alabama. Reach out to me at jacob@alarise.org. 

Thank you for your ongoing contributions to building a better Alabama.

We’re hiring!

We’re grateful to former Arise policy and advocacy director Akiesha Anderson for her contributions to our work for the last two years. Akiesha has moved to live full time in Los Angeles with her husband and will work with Represent Justice, a national nonprofit and an Arise member group.

We’re seeking a new policy and advocacy director to continue our work for dignity, equity and justice for Alabamians who are marginalized by poverty. The ideal candidate will be an experienced manager and public policy advocate who is passionate about justice, opportunity and racial equity.

Visit alarise.org/about/employment for more on the position and information on how to apply. Applications will be accepted until Monday, June 17, 2024, at 11:59 p.m. CDT.

Grocery tax, protecting voting rights among Arise priorities for 2024 session

By Akiesha Anderson, policy and advocacy director

The Alabama Legislature began its second regular session of the current quadrennium on Feb. 6. Lawmakers already have voted on numerous hot-button issues early in this session, and Alabama Arise anticipates that trend may continue. The upcoming presidential election, Alabama’s early primary date and other political factors may color what legislative leaders prioritize this year. The regular session will end no later than May 20.

Eliminate the state grocery tax

Arise was thrilled last year to help pass monumental legislation that reduced the state sales tax on groceries by 1 cent on Sept. 1, 2023. That law also authorized an additional 1-cent cut to the grocery tax in a future year. Combined, those reductions will cut the state grocery tax by half over time, from 4% to 2%.

Under the law, the second 1-cent reduction will occur in the first year when Education Trust Fund (ETF) revenues are projected to grow by 3.5% or more. Unfortunately, projections unveiled during this year’s budget hearings indicated ETF revenues will grow by only 2% in 2025. Thus, the additional 1-cent grocery tax reduction likely will occur in a future year rather than in September 2024.

This 3.5% growth provision, however, came as an amendment just before lawmakers passed the bill. The original version of the bill would have reduced the grocery tax by another 1 cent as long as annual ETF revenue growth was at least 2%. During a Feb. 12 meeting of Alabama’s Joint Study Commission on Grocery Taxation, Arise urged legislators to amend the law to reduce the growth threshold to 2%, as originally proposed. This change would allow Alabamians to receive the additional reduction sooner rather than later.

We will continue to push the Legislature to finish what it started with regard to cutting the grocery tax. We also will oppose budget legislation that we find alarming, such as the CHOOSE Act, which would divert at least $100 million of ETF money each year to non-public schools. At press time, the House had passed this proposal (HB 129, sponsored by Rep. Danny Garrett, R-Trussville), and a Senate committee had held a public hearing.

Protect voting rights and preserve child labor safeguards

Lawmakers have advanced two other troubling bills so far this year. The Senate passed SB 1, sponsored by Sen. Garlan Gudger, R-Cullman, which would criminalize many efforts to attempt to assist people with absentee voting. The Senate also passed SB 53, sponsored by Sen. Arthur Orr, R-Decatur, which would eliminate the eligibility to work form for 14- and 15-year-olds. This requirement is an important safeguard that helps protect children from exploitative child labor practices. Arise successfully advocated to amend SB 53 to require data collection about injuries and labor violations.

Arise has reason to be concerned about both of these measures. We have devoted the early weeks of this session to educating Arise members, legislators and communities about these bills’ harms.

Advance criminal justice reform 

It is an understatement to say that Alabama’s criminal justice system is in need of reform. A U.S. Department of Justice lawsuit accuses our state’s overcrowded prison system of violating the Constitution. And our state’s parole rates are abysmally low – just 8% in fiscal year 2023.

With those factors and others, Arise has a lot to keep us busy with regard to criminal justice reform. Thus, we will be devoting a significant portion of our time this year to legislation that would address issues like these. We also will support legislation to reform our death penalty laws. And we will support efforts to reform the felony murder rule, which allows a person to be convicted of first-degree murder even if they did not intend to or did not actually kill anyone.

Fund public transportation

Inadequate funding for public transportation keeps thousands of people across Alabama from meeting basic needs. Though lawmakers created the Alabama Public Transportation Trust Fund (PTTF) in 2018 to help fix our transit issues, the Legislature has never funded it. That is why Arise is urging lawmakers to include a General Fund appropriation for public transportation to rectify this oversight.

Ultimately, the return on transit investment makes allocating money to the PTTF a wise use of public funds. In fact, every $1 million invested in transit creates 49 full-time jobs, many of which are long-term jobs with good pay. An appropriation of up to $50 million from the General Fund to the PTTF also could empower Alabama to double its investment for operation expenses and to draw down up to $200 million of federal matching funds for capital improvements.

Arise will do all we can this year to educate lawmakers on the benefits of investing in public transportation. We also will highlight how a lack of adequate public transit limits workforce participation and shared prosperity across Alabama.

Arise Legislative Day is Tuesday, April 2!

Your voice matters! Make plans now to speak up with us for a better Alabama for all.

Join us at Arise’s 2024 Legislative Day on Tuesday, April 2, at the Alabama State House in Montgomery. 

Legislative Day is an annual opportunity for Arise members and friends to meet their lawmakers and make the case for policy changes to improve the lives of everyday Alabamians. We will announce the focus of Legislative Day closer to the date, but it could focus on closing the health coverage gap, further untaxing groceries and funding needed priorities.

We will gather at the State House in Room 200 for a briefing, news conference and lunch. Then folks will meet with their legislators. We will end the day with a debrief of the legislative visits and a membership meeting. 

Visit alariseaction.org to register. Please register by March 25.

There is no cost to register, but a $15 donation for lunch is suggested.

We look forward to seeing you!

State, federal budgets need to do more for children

By Carol Gundlach, senior policy analyst

It’s budget season at the Alabama Legislature and in Congress. But many of our state and federal representatives are not doing enough to meet the very real needs of ordinary people.

Gov. Kay Ivey has now proposed an Education Trust Fund budget as well as a General Fund budget, which funds Medicaid, mental health care and other state services. Ivey recommended a needed 4% funding increase for local K-12 schools. But she failed to include funding for two Alabama Arise priorities: public transportation and universal school breakfast. Arise will advocate actively for these critical needs as the budgets move through the Legislature.

Help needed for public schools, public transportation

At the same time, Ivey and education budget committee chairs are pushing HB 129 and SB 61, which would divert at least $100 million annually from K-12 public schools to pay for private school and homeschooling. This proposal would undermine efforts to improve public education and would lay groundwork for even more efforts to defund public schools. 

Ivey’s General Fund budget would provide needed increases for mental health and the Department of Human Resources. But it misses the mark by not requesting money for the Housing Trust Fund and the Public Transportation Trust Fund. Arise will be working during the session to add these critical needs to the final budget. 

Action needed on federal level to help families make ends meet

Federal budgets also have failed to meet critical human needs. A temporary Child Tax Credit (CTC) increase in 2021 cut the national child poverty rate by nearly half, but Congress allowed it to expire. Fortunately, the U.S. House in January passed a bill to expand the CTC for three years. But the Senate has yet to consider the measure.

About 280,000 Alabama children would benefit from the House’s CTC expansion. Arise has urged U.S. Sens. Katie Britt and Tommy Tuberville to approve the CTC expansion quickly and help move thousands of Alabama kids out of poverty.

The Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC) provides nutritious foods for pregnant and postpartum women, babies and toddlers. But WIC faces a budget shortfall because of recent food cost increases and higher participation. Without action by Congress, 92,000 Alabama mothers and young children could lose some or all of their WIC food. Congress must pass budget legislation in March to avoid a federal shutdown, and it’s critical for lawmakers to support our moms and babies by including adequate funding for WIC.

Recent Alabama execution underscores ongoing need for death penalty reform

By Mike Nicholson, senior policy analyst

This year already has seen a number of Alabama Arise priorities in the news, and death penalty reform is no exception. Unfortunately, Alabama recently became the first state to perform an execution using the unsafe and untested method known as nitrogen hypoxia. The state executed Kenneth Smith using this method on Jan. 25, despite concerns from many Alabamians and even the United Nations.

Smith’s execution could not have legally occurred if he had been sentenced today. After finding him guilty, the jury voted 11-1 for Smith to be sentenced to life imprisonment. However, the sentencing judge overruled the jury’s wishes and imposed the death penalty, a practice known as judicial override. Lawmakers banned this practice in 2017, but the ban wasn’t made retroactive. That means more than 30 people are still on Alabama’s death row against the wishes of a jury.

Arise and other death penalty reform advocates supported more than 150 faith leaders as they petitioned the governor to halt Smith’s execution and called for increasing transparency around the use of nitrogen hypoxia as an execution method. Similarly, we supported advocates, community members and former death row inmates who gathered at the steps of the State Capitol to protest the execution and the state’s new method.

This execution and the advocacy of Alabamians demonstrates, more than ever, our state’s need for death penalty reform. We must make the judicial override ban retroactive to address the injustice experienced by dozens of people who were sentenced to death by a judge, rather than a jury of their peers. Similarly, Alabama is one of only two states that doesn’t require a unanimous jury vote to sentence someone to death. In our state, only 10 of 12 jurors must agree to impose a death sentence.

Arise announces newly formed staff union

By Whitney Washington, communications associate

The staff, leadership and board of Alabama Arise announced in February the launch of Alabama Arise Workers United-Communications Workers of America (AAWU-CWA), the newly formed Arise staff union. AAWU-CWA is an affiliate of CWA Local 3908.

“I am honored to be a part of an organization that allowed us to make our own choice about whether or not to join a union,” said Formeeca Tripp, Arise’s southeast Alabama organizer. “It is reassuring to know I have job security and a voice as a union-represented worker.”

All eligible Arise staff members signed authorization cards to join CWA in November after a short organizing campaign. Arise staff and board leadership unanimously supported voluntary recognition of the union.

“As a pro-labor organization, voluntarily recognizing our staff union was an easy choice for Arise,” Arise executive director Robyn Hyden said. “As a leader, I think our greatest accomplishment is supporting and growing leadership at all levels of our organization. I believe everyone has something to contribute to building a strong and healthy workplace, and I’m so proud of our staff for taking this step.” 

AAWU-CWA has elected bargaining representatives and stewards to negotiate an initial bargaining agreement.

“I’m honored and energized to be one of Alabama Arise’s first union stewards,” said McKenzie Burton, an Arise development associate and one of AAWU-CWA’s newly elected stewards. “Unions are vital in uplifting and protecting Alabama’s workforce. They built the middle class and are what will rebuild the middle class. I am humbled to be a part of an organization that continues to champion these values at every level.”

The protection and power of Alabama’s workers are critical to Arise’s mission to improve the lives of Alabamians who are marginalized by poverty.

“I grew up as a child of a union parent, and now I can pass that experience on to my children,” Tripp said. 

Engagement helps voices join together

By Presdelane Harris, organizing director

The statewide organizing that Alabama Arise has done since our founding has made Arise unique among our national partners. For us, engaging members and people in the community, especially those directly impacted by the issues, is essential to our values. The voices of the people must be included in the policymaking process. To that end, we work with local partners across the state to engage folks in advocacy.

This year, we started 2024 with a flurry of opportunities to engage people in the policymaking process. Since mid-January, the Arise organizing team, working with local partners, has collectively engaged more than 300 people to help them prepare for the legislative session. We have informed people about issues and equipped them for advocacy. We have facilitated spaces for people to raise their voices, including legislative forums in Mobile and Fairhope. And we have built new relationships while strengthening existing ones.

We invite others to join us and add their voices to advocacy efforts that help us shape a better Alabama for all!

Government for the people?

By Robyn Hyden, executive director

Lately, I am struck by how many elected officials view their job as serving private industry and large corporations instead of their constituents and voters. 

This belief comes out in the ways some officials discuss Alabama’s “labor force participation” concerns. Instead of increasing workers’ autonomy by investing in public transportation, affordable housing, health care or child care – or instead of addressing low wages by incentivizing good-paying jobs with benefits – too many leaders continue simply to propose more and more corporate tax credits. It’s a tired “solution” repeatedly demonstrated not to work to address the root causes of poverty and labor force decline.

This attitude was also obvious in recent opinion pieces circulated by Gov. Kay Ivey and Commerce Secretary Ellen McNair opposing the United Auto Workers (UAW) organizing drive targeting multiple Alabama auto manufacturers. Rather than viewing labor unions as partners that could increase wages and benefits for Alabama families, our elected officials frame them as a threat to the economy and general order.

We know we can’t address poverty in Alabama without empowering every single family to access good-paying jobs with benefits and worker protections. With your support, Arise will continue to advance a pro-worker, pro-family agenda. And we will refuse to accept measly corporate tax breaks as the solution to our problems.

How to use the ‘people power’ of Arise

By Jacob Smith, advancement and operations director

As an Arise member, you are a part of our network of 151 organizations and more than 1,500 individuals committed to building a better Alabama. And our people power is growing! Your membership also comes with benefits that we want you to use. You can:

• Connect with like-minded members at our Legislative Day and Annual Meeting.
• Vote on our annual policy priorities and elect our board of directors.
• Access insider policy resources, such as the Daily News Digest, quarterly print newsletters and weekly legislative update emails during the legislative session.
• Work directly with our organizers and lobbyist to advocate for the causes you care about.

The 2024 legislative session has just begun, and your support is more important now than ever. Will you help us build momentum for change? Here are a few ideas:

• Visit alarise.org/donate to make a monthly gift to help us sustain our work year-round.
• Share our social media posts so we can grow our reach.
• Ask your friends, family and groups you’re a part of to join Arise, too.

If you have any questions, reach out to me at jacob@alarise.org. Thank you for joining Arise in our work!

Welcome, Victoria!

Victoria Enyinda Petty joined Arise as a maternal health fellow in January. She is a passionate maternal health researcher dedicated to improving the health outcomes of women. Her professional journey spans several industries, including higher education, corporate wellness, disease intervention and event management – providing her a unique and diverse perspective in all her pursuits.

Victoria holds a bachelor’s degree in health care management and a Master of Public Health degree from the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB). She is a fourth-year Ph.D. student in the Community Health Promotion program at UAB.

Thank you, Wendy!

Arise’s longtime bookkeeper Wendy Tucker retired at the end of 2023. We want to give a huge thank-you to Wendy for all she did to help our organization run smoothly for more than 17 years! Wendy’s passion for Arise’s mission was evident in every aspect of her work.

Wendy developed the accounting structure for Alabama Arise and Alabama Arise Action from the ground up. She helped us create budgets, kept a close eye on the finances and managed employee benefits. The foundation she created has supported Arise through seasons of change and growth and will continue to support the financial integrity of both organizations.

We will miss having her positive attitude, sense of humor, knowledge and insights as a part of the Arise team. Happy retirement, Wendy!

In loving memory of Jim Littleton

Alabama Arise expresses our gratitude and respect for Jim Littleton, who contributed so much to the community and betterment of Alabama for all people, especially those considered “the least of these.” We join his family in mourning the passing of a great man.

Mr. Littleton died in January at age 84. He was Arise’s pivotal first hire, serving as legislative coordinator in our early years. His high integrity and deep compassion laid a foundation upon which we still build our work today.

We’ll miss Mr. Littleton’s wisdom and his kind smile. We’re grateful for his longtime support of our mission and his unwavering belief that Alabama can and should be a better place for everyone. We celebrate Mr. Littleton’s life, which was well-lived and an inspiration to so many.

The State of Working Alabama 2023

Since the 1990s, Alabama has bet big on the auto industry. It has been a high-stakes effort to rebuild the state’s economy around high-wage manufacturing, raise the wages of Alabama’s workers and reduce economic distress across the state. A quarter-century after the first M-Class rolled off the Mercedes-Benz assembly line in Vance, Alabama Arise’s 2023 edition of The State of Working Alabama assesses the results of the drive to bring the automotive manufacturing industry to our state.

The report analyzes the ways in which Alabama’s auto industry has met or fallen short of its potential. Our report shows the heavy use of tax incentives in our state’s economic development strategy. It also reveals how a worker-focused development strategy would bring better pay and benefits than the company-focused strategy that Alabama has prioritized. We released the report in November, and its findings continue to attract media attention amid the United Auto Workers’ ongoing campaign to unionize Alabama auto plants.

Read the full report here.

Arise work wins national recognition!

Alabama Arise staff members were proud to take home two Graphies in December during the State Priorities Partnership’s Connect Conference in Atlanta. The Graphies are a lighthearted ceremony meant to celebrate the work of the numerous organizations in the nationwide partnership. Arise was proud to win in two categories: Best Development Collateral and Best Outreach Collateral. 

Maternal, infant health care debuts as an Arise priority

By Whitney Washington, communications associate

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 featured presentations from Arise staff and member group representatives.

Six of the seven priorities are returning from our 2023 agenda. Read our news release for more information about each.

A notable newcomer to our roster is a comprehensive approach to maternal and infant health care, which was proposed by ACLU of Alabama. This priority certainly aligns with our ongoing work to expand Medicaid and close Alabama’s health coverage gap. And our members decided it was critical for this to become a named priority in its own right. We are starting off strong by hiring a maternal health fellow to support our work to protect coverage during the Medicaid unwinding period.

Advocates have a long road ahead on this issue. Alabama has the highest maternal mortality rate in the nation. And according to the March of Dimes, more than one-third of Alabama’s counties are “maternal care deserts.”

A safer Alabama for mothers will include access to high-quality maternal health care where patients live, removal of criminal penalties for doctors providing necessary care, and more freestanding maternal care centers across the state.

Alabama’s mothers and babies deserve so much better. Arise is committed to creating a safer and healthier state that will give parents, children and every Alabamian the chance to thrive and achieve their full potential.

Alabama Arise’s 2024 priorities

By Matt Okarmus, communications associate

Alabama Arise is proud to announce our 2024 legislative priorities. Read our news release for more information about each.

• Fully untaxing groceries
• Expanding Medicaid
• Voting rights
• Criminal justice reform
• Comprehensive maternal and infant health care
• Dedicated funding for public transportation
• Death penalty reform

“Arise believes in dignity, equity and justice for everyone,” Arise executive director Robyn Hyden said. “Our 2024 legislative priorities reflect our members’ embrace of those values, and they underscore the need to enact policies that empower Alabamians of every race, income and background to reach their full potential. Together, we’re working to build a healthier, more just and more inclusive Alabama for all.”

Email Arise organizing director Presdelane Harris at pres@alarise.org to set up an issue preview event in your area ahead of the Legislature’s 2024 regular session.

Three strategies to boost Alabama’s workforce

By Robyn Hyden, executive director

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.

Alabama Arise worker policy advocate Dev Wakeley participated in a recent discussion with lawmakers about barriers to workforce entry. He shared Arise’s prescription to address this issue, based on clear feedback we’ve heard from workers. (Read more on our blog.)

Fund the Public Transportation Trust Fund to help workers get to jobs.

Multiple survey groups cited transit access as their top barrier. Alabama must join the rest of our Southeastern neighbors by boosting public transportation investments.

Stop incentivizing employers that fail to deliver on promises to provide good-paying jobs.

Lawmakers this year strengthened some reporting requirements for large economic tax incentives. Those enhancements were critical, but our state must do more. Alabama still ranks among the least transparent states when it comes to corporate tax subsidies. We must ensure that incentives are tied to good-paying jobs with benefits and are evaluated for effectiveness.

Expand Medicaid to keep working-age adults healthy.

Investing in Alabama’s health care infrastructure is not just an avenue to create more jobs. It’s also a way to keep workers healthy and in the workforce.

Medicaid ‘unwinding’ hits halfway mark in Alabama

By Jennifer Harris, senior health policy advocate

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 2024.

These losses are especially harsh for those who still may be eligible for coverage. When coverage loss occurs for procedural reasons, enrollees may need to submit further information to keep or maintain coverage. To prevent unnecessary coverage loss, please return any application materials to Alabama Medicaid, even if you do not think you are eligible.

If you feel Medicaid terminated your coverage in error, call our partners at ADAP at 800-826-1675 for help.

For more information, please check out Alabama Arise’s Alabama Medicaid unwinding toolkit.

Arise, worker advocates celebrate progress

By Dev Wakeley, worker policy advocate

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 the policy power of working-class Alabamians.

Unions highlighted organizing campaigns at various stages, including the United Mine Workers of America strike and United Auto Workers actions nationwide and in Alabama. They also discussed efforts to empower workers through the recent community benefits agreement at New Flyer, an electric bus manufacturer in Anniston.

Arise previewed this year’s forthcoming State of Working Alabama report, which will focus on job quality in the auto industry. Attendees also discussed ways to advance worker-centered policies and defend against anti-worker bills in 2024. And advocates planned how to build and strengthen long-term, strong interorganizational relationships and power for worker organizations throughout Alabama to support growing the collective power of organized labor.

Join us in this season of gratitude

By Jacob Smith, advancement and operations director

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 giving is important because it gives Arise the flexibility needed to focus on the issues you care about, like access to health care for all and a tax structure that promotes the common good.

Will you join us in this season of generosity? Join or renew your membership with a gift! There are so many ways to give:

• A one-time or monthly gift online.
• A check mailed to P.O. Box 1188, Montgomery, AL 36101.
• A gift of stock.
• A gift from an IRA, 401(k) or other tax-deferred savings account.

Once you’ve given, invite your friends, family and network to join you in making a difference! Be sure to share your vision for a better Alabama and how Arise works to make it a reality.

If you have any questions about membership giving or would like more information, please reach out to me at jacob@alarise.org. Thank you for your generosity in this end-of-year season.

Welcome, LaTrell, Malee and Natalie!

LaTrell Clifford Wood joined Arise in November as the hunger policy advocate. In this role, she works at the helm of the Hunger Free Alabama coalition. LaTrell is the youngest daughter and granddaughter of a teacher and three generations of civil rights activists with roots in both west and east Alabama. LaTrell earned her bachelor’s degree in history with a minor in fine arts from Stillman College. As a student, LaTrell co-founded Stillman College’s Sustainable Healthy Food Initiative Task Force. She went on to serve as chairwoman of the task force and project lead for the Community Garden Project. In 2021, LaTrell made her way to Washington, D.C., with the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation, where she served Alabama’s 7th Congressional District as a congressional intern.

Malee Galloway joined Arise in November as the finance and operations associate. She earned a bachelor’s degree in political science from Samford University and a master’s degree in public administration from the University of Alabama at Birmingham. She is passionate about using her skills in finance and human resources administration to serve Arise’s mission. Malee resides in Hoover, and in her spare time, she enjoys spending time with her family, fiance and fur baby, Lincoln.

Natalie Bishnoi joined Arise in November as a development associate. For almost a decade, she has been in coalition-building and fundraising spaces for nonprofits and grassroots organizers in Alabama. She is an accomplished relationship builder with expertise in strategic planning, sales and grant management. Prior to joining Arise, Natalie’s work was focused on statewide and regional food systems, local agriculture and food access. Natalie resides in Huntsville, and in her spare time, she enjoys spending time with her children and volunteering in her community. She participates in many grassroots campaigns to demand public accountability and serves on several committees that are focused on community organizing, advocating for criminal justice reform and promoting housing equity.

Arise lifts up health advocates’ stories

Through our storytelling work, Alabama Arise is elevating the voices of people living in our state’s health coverage gap. Two Arise storytellers – Sumiton hairstylist Eryn Mullins and Arise board member Kenneth Tyrone King – joined our Cover Alabama storyteller Whit Sides to speak Oct. 10 at a UAB panel on the human side of Medicaid expansion. Kenneth also spoke at a Nov. 6 event at WorkPlay in Birmingham highlighting the benefits of closing Alabama’s coverage gap.

If you or someone you know would like to share your health care story, email Whit Sides at whit@alarise.org.

Alabama’s grocery tax reduction now in effect

By Chris Sanders, communications director

Alabama has taken an important first step toward untaxing groceries. HB 479 took effect Sept. 1, reducing the state sales tax on groceries from 4% to 3%. The law will reduce the tax by another percentage point as soon as September 2024, as long as Education Trust Fund (ETF) revenues grow by at least 3.5% over the previous year. This policy change will help families keep food on the table and ease financial strain for Alabamians with low incomes.

The law’s enactment came after decades of persistent advocacy by Alabama Arise members. Several Arise staff members celebrated at a ceremonial bill signing July 20 at the State Capitol in Montgomery. Numerous legislative champions also attended the event, including Sen. Andrew Jones, R-Centre; Reps. Danny Garrett, R-Trussville, and Penni McClammy, D-Montgomery; and former Rep. John Knight, D-Montgomery.

Arise remains committed to eliminating the rest of the state grocery tax responsibly and sustainably. Those efforts will include working with policymakers to protect ETF funding by closing tax loopholes skewed in favor of wealthy households and highly profitable corporations.

Annual meeting to chart Arise’s course for 2024

By Matt Okarmus, communications associate

Grassroots democracy will be on display when Alabama Arise members choose our 2024 legislative priorities at our Annual Meeting on Saturday, Sept. 30. There will be options to meet both in person and online via Zoom.

As a member, you have the power to select the legislative priorities we will pursue in 2024. Two new proposals will compete with five current priorities for five slots on next year’s policy agenda.

Below, you’ll find more information on the Annual Meeting, including a new location this year. You’ll also see member groups’ summaries of the new policy proposals and our policy staff’s overviews of the current legislative priorities. And you’ll see updates on our two permanent priorities: adequate state budgets and tax reform.

We hope to see you in September as we gather to renew our shared commitment to building a better Alabama for all! 

Things to know for our Annual Meeting

When:

Saturday, Sept. 30, 2023
10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

Where:

This is a hybrid event with options to attend in person as well as remotely via Zoom. The in-person meeting will be at The Legacy Annex, 115 Coosa St., Montgomery, AL 36104. This is the former site of the Equal Justice Initiative’s Legacy Museum. You can find more details and registration information at alarise.org/annualmeeting2023. There is no cost to attend, though donations are welcome.

Voting rules:

Member groups may cast up to 42 votes for legislative priorities. Before the Annual Meeting, groups may designate up to six representatives to get seven votes each. Individual members get five votes each. (A person can vote as an individual or as a member group’s representative, but not both.)

Groups must be current on dues to vote. Individual members must have given between July 1, 2022, and Aug. 31, 2023, to be eligible.

Voting for legislative priorities will be conducted online. Members will present policy proposals during the meeting. Eligible voters will receive a link and instructions after the meeting. If Arise doesn’t have your email, you will receive a postcard with voting information.

For more information:

If you have questions or need to update your contact info or group voters, call 334-832-9060 or email info@alarise.org.

An Arise tradition: the member-led agenda

By Robyn Hyden, executive director

Something interesting is happening in the world of policy organizations. After years of many think tanks working behind the scenes to set their policy agendas with little transparency or buy-in from regular people, many of our peer organizations are now realizing the best policies are those informed by the people closest to the problems.

Research and data analysis have important roles to play in any new policy formulation or advocacy campaign. But they alone can’t tell us what needs to happen to improve conditions on the ground.

Thankfully, Alabama Arise is ahead of the curve. Thirty-five years ago, Arise’s founders knew we couldn’t truly work to advance people-centered policies in Montgomery without actually working with and talking to, well, regular people. That is why we are unique among many of our peers in having a policy agenda driven and guided by our membership and directly impacted people across our state.

Driven and guided by the people

I’m proud that with your support, we’ve invested over the years in listening, fostering community conversations and seeking answers to address economic and social justice from everyday Alabamians. Our Annual Meeting and voting process are an important part of this tradition.

Public policy should not be only the purview of the wealthy, white, well-connected or well-heeled. That kind of thinking has created the problems and inequities we are fighting. Instead, the best policies to address economic hardship and poverty are those driven and guided by the people who are struggling just to get by, and by those working on the front lines to advance justice. Every year we invite you, our members, to vote on our annual legislative agenda to ensure our policy goals align with those of everyday Alabamians.

If you have not yet joined us in this process, I hope you will. Join our 2023 Annual Meeting on Sept. 30 to hear from volunteers and leaders across our state. Then participate in voting to select our 2024 legislative agenda!

Tax reform

Alabama legislators made huge strides toward eliminating the 4% state sales tax on groceries during the 2023 regular session.

This has been a longstanding priority for Alabama Arise. Thanks to the passage of HB 479 and HJR 243, Alabama will:

• Reduce the state grocery tax by 1 cent this September.
• Reduce the tax to 2% as soon as September 2024, assuming projected Education Trust Fund (ETF) revenues grow by at least 3.5% next year.
• Create a commission to study ways to eliminate the final 2 cents while protecting ETF revenue. Ultimately, this change will improve life for Alabamians who are struggling to make ends meet.

In 2023, the Legislature also:

• Passed legislation to give Alabama families a tax refund check of $150 per individual and $300 per family in December 2023.
• Passed legislation to exempt overtime pay from income taxes for the 2024 tax year.
• Phased out some existing tax incentives and required a bi-annual review of incentives.
• Took a step forward toward increasing transparency related to corporate tax incentives.

In addition, Arise was happy to see movement on SB 196, aimed at strengthening the state’s Open Records Act. This bill would have established procedures to request public records and improved public access to them. SB 196 passed the Senate and cleared a House committee, but the House unfortunately did not vote on it. Arise member group Jobs to Move America has urged us to continue advocating for transparency, particularly related to the terms of corporate tax incentive agreements.

Adequate state budgets

Thanks to federal relief funds, healthy sales and income tax collections, and rapid growth in internet sales tax revenue, Alabama went into 2023 with significant revenue increases despite high inflation and other lingering effects of the COVID-19 recession.

This healthy revenue growth allowed the Legislature to increase education funding and provide educators with a 2% raise. The state likely will have enough money to continue to cover basic needs in its 2025 budgets. Arise will keep calling on policymakers to strengthen investments in vital services. Mental health care is a longtime funding priority that Arise member group Grace Presbyterian Church in Tuscaloosa has urged us to underscore in our ongoing advocacy.

Importantly, lawmakers this year also held a committee hearing to discuss facts about the health coverage gap, and speakers cited Arise and Cover Alabama data. Also worth highlighting is the establishment of a Medicaid Emergency Reserve Fund within the General Fund budget. This reserve fund, capped for now at $100 million, could help Alabama cover more adults with low incomes by retaining savings to Medicaid from enhanced federal funding. Officials could use that money in future years if necessary to help fund increased Medicaid costs.

Advocates this year successfully blocked the PRICE Act, an enormous threat to public school funding. If passed, it could have allowed the diversion of hundreds of millions of dollars from the Education Trust Fund (ETF). The bill would have routed money away from public schools and into the coffers of private, at-home or other alternative education settings instead.

Though thankfully the PRICE Act did not pass this year, we anticipate it will return next year. Also causing quite a stir this session was the Legislature’s decision to allocate $100 million from the ETF to support ongoing prison construction.

In brighter news, the Legislature allocated an additional $10 million over the funding that normally would be provided for schools deemed to be “underperforming.” This money went toward the Turnaround School Initiative to help fund crucial services, including tutoring access and more auxiliary teachers.

Compiled by Akiesha Anderson, policy and advocacy director

New issue proposals

Fund the Alabama Housing Trust Fund

Submitted by Jay Williams, Low Income Housing Coalition of Alabama (LIHCA)

As Alabama stands at a crossroads, legislation to fund the Alabama Housing Trust Fund (AHTF) presents an opportunity to address poverty in our state. This proposal aims to establish a dedicated funding source for the AHTF by increasing the mortgage record fee from 15 cents per $100 of indebtedness to 30 cents per $100.

This legislation would generate an estimated $44.8 million for the AHTF and would serve as a catalyst to bridge this gap. It would provide low-income households with affordable housing options. This would help reduce the risk of homelessness and break the cycle of poverty. Moreover, by targeting rural communities, we can work toward leveling the playing field and fostering equitable access to housing opportunities.

Families with low incomes, individuals experiencing homelessness, essential workers, veterans, seniors, and individuals with disabilities all would benefit from increased access to safe and affordable housing. By prioritizing the most vulnerable members of our communities, we can uplift individuals and promote inclusive, prosperous neighborhoods.

The timeline for bill passage depends on the political climate and legislative priorities. However, with dedicated advocacy efforts and effective collaboration, we can expedite the process. Through bipartisan consensus and highlighting the urgent need for affordable housing, we can strive for swift passage in 2024.

Alabama Arise has a crucial role to play in championing AHTF funding. By mobilizing our network of supporters, engaging in grassroots advocacy and fostering alliances with like-minded organizations, we can amplify our collective voice and ensure the successful passage of this legislation.

Now is the time to invest in affordable housing as a long-term solution to address poverty and racial inequality. Funding can be sourced through a combination of public-private partnerships, leveraging federal programs, redirecting existing resources or exploring innovative financing mechanisms. By increasing the mortgage record fee, allocating a portion of community reinvestment funds or exploring tax incentives, we can secure the necessary funding to support the Alabama Housing Trust Fund.

Comprehensive maternal and infant health care reform

Submitted by Courtney Andrews, American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Alabama

Alabama is a dangerous place to be pregnant and to give birth, particularly for Black and low-resourced women. With the highest maternal mortality rate in the nation, the maternal health crisis is only worsening.

A person’s chance of dying during pregnancy, childbirth or the postpartum period is closely linked to racial identity, social and economic status and the geographic remoteness of the home. Additionally, Alabama has the third-highest mortality rate for cervical cancer. That is unacceptable, considering that cervical cancer is highly preventable, detectable and treatable.

Alabama Arise was successful in pushing policymakers to expand Medicaid for one year postpartum. Now is the time to capitalize on this progress by expanding Medicaid for the general population and introducing a comprehensive reproductive health bill that focuses on ensuring the health and safety of Alabama families more broadly and over the life course.

Such a bill, ideally introduced in the 2025 legislative session, must enshrine elective parenting (the right to choose if and when to have a child). It also should expand the scope of practice for midwives and provide a path to licensure for birth centers. And it should expand access to comprehensive prenatal, birth and postpartum care, including screenings and treatment for depression.

This bill should require a greater statewide investment in community-based organizations that assist pregnant and birthing people, as well as in housing, transportation and access to healthy food. It also should require public schools to provide comprehensive sexual health education and greater access to the HPV vaccine for school-age children. The bill also should include provisions for the care and safe birthing conditions of incarcerated people (i.e., not being shackled during birth).

Current legislative priorities

Criminal justice reform

Arise was happy to partner with Alabama Appleseed in achieving a major victory this year related to fines and fees. The Legislature passed SB 154, which limits the circumstances under which the state can suspend driver’s licenses. This new law will curb the practice of immediately suspending driver’s licenses when people are unable to afford to pay traffic tickets.

Other legislation also made significant progress through the Legislature before eventually falling short this session. That included HB 229, a “second chance” bill to reform the state’s Habitual Felony Offender Act, aka the “three-strikes” law. We were encouraged to see this legislation pass the House and make it out of the Senate Judiciary Committee this year. Arise expects to see and support similar legislation next year.

In addition to the above legislation, Arise member group Represent Justice has proposed expanding our scope of work in this area to include efforts to reform Alabama’s felony murder law. Under this law, a person can be convicted of first-degree murder even if they did not intend to or did not actually kill anyone. A disproportionate share of people convicted under felony murder laws are people of color, research from several states has found. Represent Justice urges support for legislation to clarify the circumstances under which felony murder may be charged and to make other related changes.

Death penalty reform

For the first time in years, lawmakers in 2023 debated legislation to address Alabama’s unjust death penalty laws. Alabama is one of only two states to permit the issuance of death sentences via non-unanimous jury sentencing decisions. Arise this year supported HB 14, which would have aligned the state with the national trend of requiring a unanimous jury verdict prior to imposing the death penalty.

This bill also would have applied the state’s 2017 ban on judicial override retroactively. This ban forbids judges from imposing a death sentence when the jury recommends a lesser sentence. Unfortunately, when passed in 2017, the law didn’t apply to people already on death row. That has left more than 30 people on Alabama’s death row who received a death sentence against their jury’s will.

The House Judiciary Committee heard HB 14 too late for it to have a chance to become law. But Arise was proud to see member groups like Project Hope to Abolish the Death Penalty give compelling and moving testimony during a public hearing in support of the bill. We hope to see this legislation reintroduced and considered earlier in the session next year. 

Payday and title lending reform

Every year, high-interest loans trap thousands of struggling Alabamians in a cycle of deep debt. Payday loans are short-term (usually two-week) loans charging high annual percentage rates (APRs), most commonly 456%. Auto title loans charge up to 300% APR and also carry the risk of repossession of the vehicle. Alabama also has no title loan database, leaving the extent of harm from these loans unknown.

These high-cost loans strip wealth from borrowers and hurt communities. As of this time last year, payday lenders were on track to pull approximately $1 billion in fees out of Alabama communities over the next decade, with most of that money flowing to out-of-state companies. Predatory lending practices continue to target people of color disproportionately. These practices exacerbate the economic challenges in many struggling rural and urban areas.

A House member introduced legislation this year in an effort to reduce the harms of high-cost payday lending. But the bill unfortunately did not come up in committee. If passed, this legislation effectively would cut the interest rates on payday loans in half by giving borrowers more time to pay them back. We anticipate that similar legislation will be introduced next year.

Public transportation

State leaders are finally starting to take note of the negative implications that a lack of access to reliable transportation has on advancing many statewide goals, including increasing workforce participation. Arise has long acknowledged that robust state investment into public transportation would improve the quality of life for many Alabamians. Transit availability affects people across geographies, incomes and races. Yet Alabama remains one of only a few states without state funding for public transportation.

The Legislature took steps to remedy this by creating the Public Transportation Trust Fund (PTTF) in 2018. However, the law did not provide an initial appropriation or dedicated funding source. If funded, the PTTF could jump-start increased federal investment that requires non-federal matching dollars.

Arise urged state leaders to invest $20 million of Alabama’s remaining American Rescue Plan Act funds into the PTTF. But those efforts came up short in the last year. Even so, Arise will continue to explore ways to convince lawmakers that investing in the PTTF will allow the state to improve quality of life for everyone. Our policy team plans to produce a report on the state of public transit in Alabama. And the Montgomery Transportation Coalition, an Arise member group, has urged support for a proposal to help fund public transit through a $1 assessment on license plates.

Voting rights

Arise and advocacy partners this year successfully blocked legislation that posed a threat to voting rights in Alabama. HB 209 would have criminalized many efforts to assist voters with absentee ballot applications or completed ballots. While we are happy this bill did not pass, we anticipate that it will be reintroduced next year.

This session, lawmakers considered legislation to make absentee voting easier. The bill would have eliminated the requirement to complete an affidavit when submitting an absentee ballot. Though this legislation ultimately did not make it out of the House Constitution, Campaigns and Elections Committee, it was significant that a bill to make voting access easier received committee discussion.

This year also saw continued efforts to improve the voting rights restoration process for people who previously lost their right to vote due to a felony conviction. A restoration bill passed the Senate and made it to the House Judiciary Committee. Unfortunately, the sponsors then had to make a strategic decision to table the bill due to alarming amendments and modifications during the legislative process. We look forward to working with the bill’s sponsors and other advocates to strategize ways to help get this legislation over the finish line next year.

Compiled by Akiesha Anderson, policy director; Carol Gundlach, senior policy analyst; Dev Wakeley, worker policy advocate; Mike Nicholson, senior policy analyst

Fresh opportunities to push for a better Alabama

By Akiesha Anderson, policy and advocacy director

The Alabama Legislature will welcome 37 new lawmakers to its halls when its 2023 regular session begins March 7. Alabama Arise sees this as an opportunity to educate new legislators and identify new allies on issues of importance to our members. We urge folks to join us in calling for change, including at Arise Legislative Day on April 11.

Eliminate the state grocery tax

In early February, 11% of Alabama households said they sometimes or often didn’t have enough food to eat. And those hunger challenges are even more severe in communities of color. More than 23% of Black Alabamians and 13.6% of Hispanic Alabamians said they sometimes or often didn’t have enough food.

Untaxing groceries would help families across Alabama keep food on the table. As we have for more than two decades, Arise once again will support bills this year to remove the state’s 4% sales tax on groceries. We also will support replacing the grocery tax revenue by limiting or ending a tax loophole for the wealthiest households. This legislation by Sen. Andrew Jones, R-Centre, and Rep. Penni McClammy, D-Montgomery, would empower Alabama to untax groceries while protecting funding for public schools.

Expand Medicaid to close the health coverage gap

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. Alabama is one of just 11 states that has yet to expand Medicaid. And that inaction has left more than 220,000 Alabamians in a health coverage gap.

Fifteen rural hospitals in Alabama are at imminent risk of closing this year if state leaders don’t act soon to protect health care access. Gov. Kay Ivey should act swiftly to expand Medicaid herself, but the Legislature’s support also will be vital. Arise will keep working to educate lawmakers and the public on the economic, budgetary and humanitarian benefits of Medicaid expansion.

Take bold steps to reform our criminal justice system

Legislators have an opportunity and an obligation to make strides in solving the many problems within Alabama’s criminal justice system. This issue has added urgency as Alabama faces a U.S. Department of Justice lawsuit alleging unconstitutional prison conditions.

Many avenues for progress exist. Arise will urge lawmakers to end the practice of suspending driver’s licenses for debt-based reasons. We will advocate for reform of the state “three-strikes” law, known as the Habitual Felony Offender Act. And we will support a bill to require the jury to be unanimous before imposing the death penalty.

Address housing and transportation needs

State House insiders expect the Legislature to go into a special session this spring to decide how to use remaining federal funds under the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA). From the start, Arise has taken the position that Alabama should use some of its ARPA funds to jump-start public transportation and help thousands find an affordable place to call home. During the probable special session, we will continue to uplift the need for these investments in the people of Alabama. Click here to learn more.

Arise Legislative Day is Tuesday, April 11!

Your voice matters! Make plans now to speak up with us for a better Alabama for all.

Join us at Arise’s 2023 Legislative Day on Tuesday, April 11, at the RSA Plaza in Montgomery. 

Legislative Day is an annual opportunity for Arise supporters to meet their lawmakers and make the case for policy changes to improve life for everyday Alabamians. We expect this year’s advocacy to focus on expanding Medicaid, untaxing groceries and funding public transit.

Registration will begin at 9:30 a.m. on the sixth floor of the RSA Plaza Building. The event will begin at 10 a.m. with an issue briefing and lunch at the RSA Plaza, followed by a news conference at 12:15 p.m. on the steps of the Alabama State House. Then we will visit with lawmakers before returning to the RSA Plaza at 2:30 p.m. for a membership meeting.

Click here to register. Please register by April 3 as seating is limited. There is no cost to register, but a $15 donation for lunch is suggested.

Please note: Health and safety precautions will be observed. Attendees are asked to wear a mask during the event.

We look forward to seeing you!

Budget priorities for the people

By Robyn Hyden, executive director

Two weeks before the Alabama Legislature’s 2023 regular session, lawmakers, lobbyists and advocates packed into the State House in late February for the annual joint legislative budget hearings. One might call it the Super Bowl for budget nerds.

After years of scarcity, both Alabama budgets are starting out with a revenue surplus. There’s $351 million in “excess” revenue for the General Fund, and $2.7 billion for the Education Trust Fund. That’s not even counting the remaining $1.1 billion in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds still awaiting allocation.

What we heard at this year’s budget hearings was not surprising. Public services like education, health care, mental health and supportive services need more resources after years of underinvestment. State agencies are struggling with worker shortages and the consequences of underfunding – and understaffing – critical programs. It’s no surprise that lawmakers heard a long, detailed list of opportunities to meet these needs. Most agency heads were clear that new funding can’t fix all of the problems – but it’s a start.

Some lawmakers have floated the idea that this one-time surplus is a sign we need a tax rebate. If that proposal materializes, Arise will be front and center advocating for funds to go directly to low- and moderate-income households bearing the brunt of higher costs. But Arise’s proposal, which comes directly from listening to our members, is a longer-term solution to our upside-down tax code. Our bill to untax groceries would help families keep food on the table while also protecting funding for public schools. It’s a solution that goes beyond just one year to create more foundational and sustainable change.

One concern you may have heard is that nobody has enough workers. Too many Alabamians are still disconnected from the workforce due to missing critical infrastructure investments in child care, public transportation, health care and affordable housing. This year, we’ll be pushing for investments in these supports to help people get and keep work, and to build the healthy and educated workforce Alabama needs.

Our 2023 policy proposals provide that roadmap for change. Expand Medicaid to ensure nobody has to die for lack of preventive care or live in poverty because they have a chronic health condition. Invest in infrastructure to support workers, including child care, housing, public transportation and education. Stop funding public services with punitive fines and fees, and start ensuring the wealthiest Alabamians pay their fair share.

We look forward to seeing you all at our Legislative Day this April. If we continue to stand and work together, we will make significant progress for Alabama.

The workforce benefits of Medicaid expansion

By Mike Nicholson, policy analyst

For nearly a decade, Alabama has been outside looking in on a good deal. While hundreds of thousands of Alabamians struggle without health insurance, state leaders have failed to expand Medicaid to cover adults with low incomes. A few loud voices have politicized an issue that shouldn’t be political. And our state has paid the price in lost dollars, lost jobs and lost lives.

Reliable access to health care keeps people healthier and empowers them to work. That’s one reason 39 states and the District of Columbia have embraced Medicaid expansion. Alabama is one of 11 states that has yet to expand Medicaid. That inaction has left more than 220,000 Alabamians in a health coverage gap. Parents in a family of three making more than $4,475 a year don’t qualify for Alabama Medicaid. But unless they make at least $24,860 a year, they also don’t qualify for Marketplace subsidies under the Affordable Care Act. Adults without children or a disability are ineligible for Alabama Medicaid, no matter how low their incomes.

It’s time to end this injustice and close the coverage gap. Medicaid expansion is the single best solution available for lawmakers to make Alabama healthier. And it is one of the best solutions to help cure our state’s workforce woes.

Medicaid expansion would help Alabamians stay employed

Alabama’s labor force participation rate is lower than that of neighboring states. Fortunately, Medicaid expansion is a proven, pro-work policy. States that have expanded Medicaid have seen a greater increase in labor force participation among people with disabilities and among people with incomes below 138% of the poverty line than non-expansion states. These are the very people Medicaid expansion would benefit most.

It’s impossible to separate health care policy from workforce policy, because health care policy is workforce policy. Why would a family move to Alabama for job opportunities instead of a state that invests more in workers’ health? And how long will businesses keep relocating to Alabama if our workforce isn’t healthy enough to fill vacancies?

Alabamians work hard every day to provide for themselves and their families. But hundreds of thousands aren’t paid enough to afford health coverage. Fast food workers, cashiers, carpenters and hotel clerks are among the many folks who work hard at low-paying but essential jobs that often don’t provide health insurance. They are among the Alabamians who would benefit most from Medicaid expansion.

Read the full blog here.

End of emergency SNAP allotments will increase hunger in Alabama

By Carol Gundlach, senior policy analyst

Temporary increases to Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits helped ease suffering for families across Alabama and nationwide. But those boosts expired in February. SNAP participants now face a benefit decrease that will cut their food assistance significantly.

Nearly 400,000 Alabama households will see average cuts to their SNAP benefits of around $170 a month. Particularly hard hit will be older adults and people with disabilities who live alone. Before the pandemic, SNAP benefits for these households were often minimal and could be as low as $16 per month. Emergency allotments boosted these folks’ benefits to the maximum of $281 per month for an individual. But with these increases ending, these participants will see their food budgets decline, possibly to as little as the current minimum of $23 per month.

The loss of SNAP emergency allotments almost certainly will increase hunger, both in Alabama and nationwide. But individuals have a few options to help reduce the pain:

• SNAP benefits don’t have to be spent in the month in which they are received. Emergency SNAP allotments will roll over on Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) cards as long as the card is used at least once a month. This will allow participants to stretch their emergency dollars as far as possible.
• Older adults or people with disabilities are eligible to deduct medical costs, including transportation to the doctor or pharmacy, before calculating SNAP benefits. Updating medical costs may result in more assistance than people are receiving.
• All households participating in SNAP can deduct the cost of housing and dependent care. Updating housing costs and the cost of child care or care for adults with disabilities could increase SNAP benefits.
• Some grocery stores and farmers markets offer extra fruits and vegetables for SNAP participants. Find out where you can get these Double Up Food Bucks.

What policymakers can do to help

Hunger is a systemic problem that requires systemic solutions. Federal, state and local officials all have roles to play in helping to reduce hunger in Alabama and the nation. Below are a few of the many policy options available.

Untax groceries: Alabama is one of only three states with no tax break on groceries. Removing the state sales tax from food would allow everyone to afford an extra two weeks’ worth of groceries. 

Expand free school meals: Many local schools and districts provide free school meals for all their students. Universal free meals improve students’ health and education. They also reduce the financial burden on families struggling to make ends meet.

Provide state funding for Double Up Food Bucks: The Double Up Food Bucks program offers extra fruit and vegetables for SNAP participants. This program promotes better health for SNAP participants and more money for Alabama’s farmers. But the absence of state dollars limits the number of stores where these extra benefits are available.

Strengthen SNAP in the Farm Bill: Congress must reauthorize the Farm Bill, which includes SNAP, next year. Many advocates are calling for Congress to make the emergency allotment amounts permanent, either in the Farm Bill or through other legislation.

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

By Jennifer Harris, health policy advocate

As the end of the COVID-19 public health emergency (PHE) approaches, tens of thousands of Alabamians will start paying more for critical medical care – or simply be unable to afford it – unless our state lawmakers take action. About 61,000 Alabamians are expected to lose Medicaid coverage by June 2024 due to this change, according to the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and Urban Institute. These coverage losses would leave many Alabamians with no realistic option for affordable coverage because our state still has not expanded Medicaid to cover adults with low incomes.

Medicaid expansion is the single best step Alabama could take to preserve health coverage and reduce costs for people who cannot afford a private plan and otherwise would be uninsured. In the meantime, state officials should be proactive in communicating with enrollees and facilitating transitions to Marketplace coverage where possible.

Medicaid received additional federal funding to keep current and new enrollees eligible until the PHE’s end. Under this maintenance of effort (MOE) requirement, traditional eligibility criteria were relaxed.

The relaxed criteria led to continuous coverage eligibility. That meant Medicaid enrollees would not lose eligibility unless they requested in writing to be removed, moved out of state or died. It also meant changes in income or family size no longer caused removal from Medicaid during the PHE.

But with the MOE requirement about to end, Alabama Medicaid will begin reviewing people for eligibility again starting April 1. This return to normal rules is called “unwinding.” State officials say they will take one year to complete the unwinding process.

Take action to maintain coverage

The Alabama Unwinding Task Force, which Alabama Arise chairs, is working with Medicaid to support outreach and communication efforts. This task force is ensuring support is available for current eligible enrollees to maintain their coverage. It also is working to ensure people who no longer meet Alabama Medicaid’s eligibility criteria know their available coverage options. To get involved with the task force, email me at jennifer@alarise.org.

Individuals who remain eligible for Medicaid could be at risk of losing coverage during unwinding due to administrative barriers. To ensure they maintain coverage, eligible enrollees first should verify their current contact information. They also can sign up online to receive text messages from Medicaid with vital information.

If an enrollee is no longer eligible for coverage through Alabama Medicaid, they should contact Enroll Alabama to discuss options that may be available on the Health Insurance Marketplace. They also can dial 211 to connect with an Enroll Alabama navigator who can assist in finding coverage.

See the Gap: How Medicaid expansion would help hairstylists and barbers

Hairstylists and barbers often work six or seven days a week, with little fanfare and long hours on their feet. But most don’t get health insurance through their employers. And those who are self-employed often don’t make enough to afford private coverage.

In her “See the Gap” series, Alabama Arise storyteller Whit Sides spotlights a few of the thousands of Alabama personal care professionals who would benefit from Medicaid expansion. Click here to read this ongoing series.

A membership base that looks like Alabama

By Jacob Smith, development director

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 policies.

Because members like you are important to our mission, we work to diversify and expand our membership. We want to be reflective of Alabama and representative of people living paycheck to paycheck.

We have set long-term goals to recruit more members of color, members under age 30, and members with low incomes. And we’ve been making progress. In 2022, we grew our BIPOC membership to 17% and our membership of young adults to 3%. Through our gift membership program, we grew our membership of people with low incomes to 23%.

This data only reflects members who completed our survey. For Arise to be successful, it is critical that we understand more about you and your values. If you haven’t already, will you complete our survey? It can be found by visiting this link.

No matter your identity or background, completing this survey will help us understand the change you want to see in Alabama.

Welcome, Akiesha!

Akiesha Anderson joined Arise as our new policy and advocacy director in November 2022. In this role, she leads a team of policy advocates and analysts committed to improving the lives of Alabamians who are marginalized by poverty.

Akiesha has more than a decade of experience working in the public sector and nonprofit realms and striving to make society more equitable for marginalized groups. Akiesha grew up in Montgomery and is a graduate of Alabama State University, Auburn University at Montgomery and the University of Alabama School of Law. She has a bachelor’s degree in sociology with a minor in business management; a master’s degree in public administration; and a law degree with a certificate in governmental affairs.

OTHER STAFF MOVES

Arise also recently had two other staff changes. Debbie Smith is now the Cover Alabama campaign director after serving as a northeast Alabama organizer since 2018. And Celida Soto Garcia is leaving Arise after working as a hunger policy advocate since 2019. We thank Celida for her great work and wish her well!

Online and off: Arise advocates all over!

Alabama Arise is providing a mix of in-person and virtual meetings to help keep advocacy accessible to all. 

Arise urges ‘Yes’ vote on recompiled constitution

By Mike Nicholson, policy analyst

Alabama Arise is committed to recognizing, teaching about and repairing the damage that state lawmakers perpetrated for generations through codifying racism and racist practices. Racist language and the harmful provisions flowing from it have no place in our state’s most important legal document.

Alabamians will decide on Nov. 8 whether to remove racist language from the state constitution by adopting a recompiled constitution. Examples of deleted language include references to separate schools for Black and white children and prohibition of interracial marriages. Arise recommends voting “Yes” on the recompilation, which will appear on the ballot as the Constitution of Alabama of 2022.

The changes in the recompilation wouldn’t address all of the problems with Alabama’s constitution, including harmful limits related to tax policy and local governance. But they still would move Alabama, and our constitution, in the right direction. Arise urges Alabamians to vote “Yes” to help move our state forward.

For more information on the recompilation, see our fact sheet.

Alabama Arise’s 2023 policy priorities

By Chris Sanders, communications director

More than 400 Alabama Arise members selected our 2023 legislative agenda following our Annual Meeting on Sept. 24. The seven priorities chosen were:

• Tax reform
• Adequate budgets for human services
• Voting rights
• Criminal justice reform
• Death penalty reform
• Public transportation
• Payday and title lending reform

“Our 2023 policy priorities reflect the need to work together to break down policy barriers that keep people in poverty,” Arise executive director Robyn Hyden said. “We must build a healthier, more just and more inclusive future for our state.”

See our news release for more on our priorities. And email Arise organizing director Presdelane Harris at pres@alarise.org to set up an issue preview event in your area ahead of the Legislature’s 2023 regular session.

Annual Meeting 2022

Alabama Arise held our first hybrid Annual Meeting on Sept. 24, both in person at Aldersgate United Methodist Church in Montgomery and virtually on Zoom. We thank the hundreds of members who joined us across both spaces.

First photo above: Arise board president Kathy Vincent embraces outgoing board member Roger McCullough. Second above: Former executive director Kimble Forrister (right) and other members listen to issue presentations. Third above: Arise senior policy analyst Carol Gundlach gives an update on budgets and tax reform. Fourth above: A member asks a clarifying question as Arise development director Jacob Smith listens.

Click here to see more pictures from our in-person event!

A sincere thank you

By Robyn Hyden, executive director

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 COVID-19 years have stretched us to adapt in new ways. I couldn’t be more grateful for the ways our dynamic staff, supporters and board leaders have navigated these changes as we continue learning, growing and doing new things together.

As we look ahead to fall and winter, we’re doubling down on hybrid opportunities to engage members and grassroots constituents. We’re looking at how we engage the broadest base possible to achieve our goals. And we’re striving to meet the needs and goals identified by you, our members.

Thank you for charting our agenda and joining us to continue our forward momentum. When we push together, change is on the horizon.

Together, our members make a difference!

By Jacob Smith, development director

There’s something about the approaching winter holidays that brings out the generous nature in all of us. We all want to do our part and work together to build community and a better Alabama.

At Arise, we’re grateful for your giving. Almost 13% of our financial support comes from members like you. When you give, we have the flexibility needed to focus on you and your priorities. We believe people from every community must be engaged in the state and federal policymaking process to effect real and lasting change.

Will you help us grow our membership? If you haven’t already, join or renew your membership with a gift. There are so many ways to give:

• A one-time or monthly gift online at alarise.org.
• A check mailed to P.O. Box 1188, Montgomery, AL 36101.
• A gift of stock.
• A gift from an IRA, 401(k) or other tax-deferred savings account.

Once you’ve given, invite your friends, family and network to join you in making a difference! Or invite a group you’re in to join as a member group! Share why you’re a part of Arise and how you partner with us.

If you would like more information, please email me at jacob@alarise.org. Thank you for your generosity in this end-of-year season.

Arise helps strengthen fight against cervical cancer

By Whitney Washington, communications associate

Six Black women from Alabama’s Black Belt region assembled In a meeting room at downtown Birmingham’s Westin Hotel on Aug. 26-28 for a weekend of intense and insightful advocacy training. The weekend served as this cohort’s introduction to both each other and the material they’ll be learning. And Alabama Arise had the privilege of being part of the event.

Arise health policy advocate Jennifer Harris will spend the next few months guiding these incredible women through various training sessions through a partnership with the Southern Rural Black Women’s Initiative for Economic and Social Justice (SRBWI) and Human Rights Watch. These women have been tasked with reducing rates of cervical cancer in their communities, and they are up to the challenge.

The scope of the challenge

Why the focus on cervical cancer? Consider these sobering statistics:

• Black women die of cervical cancer at 1.5 times the rate of white women in the United States.
• In Alabama, Black women die of cervical cancer at nearly twice the rate of white women.
• With the HPV vaccine, cervical cancer is nearly entirely preventable.
• The Black Belt region is especially hard hit due to lack of access to health care.

“Research is clear on the best possible outcomes in ideal situations. But the reality is far from ideal for many women in rural Alabama,” Harris said. “Less access to health care, the need for more preventive education, and barriers such as a lack of transportation increase these health disparities for too many families.

I was lucky to meet these women and work with my colleagues in creating a helpful curriculum for the weekend. Arise executive director Robyn Hyden charged right into advocacy training at the event. Her sessions described the role of advocates, how to talk to legislators and how to get bills passed.

The SRBWI conference and the Black Belt cohort training were an incredible opportunity to see some of the often invisible organizing and community-building work happening across Alabama. People long neglected by institutions and lawmakers are finding creative ways to take care of themselves and their communities. And Arise is committed to working alongside them to amplify their voices and lift policy barriers standing in their way.

Read more about this powerful weekend on our blog.

Child Tax Credit boost cuts child poverty to record low

By Chris Sanders, communications director

People-friendly policies like the Child Tax Credit (CTC) can and do reduce poverty. The 2021 U.S. Census data released last month delivered eye-opening proof of that fact, revealing a dramatic nationwide reduction in child poverty fueled largely by a temporary CTC expansion.

By itself, the CTC expansion kept 5.3 million Americans above the poverty line, data showed. The one-year improvement, enacted as part of the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), made the full credit available to children living in families with low or no earnings. It increased the maximum credit to $3,000 per child and $3,600 per child under age 6. And it extended the credit to 17-year-olds.

CTC expansion helped reduce disparities for Black and Hispanic children. It also drove the U.S. child poverty rate to a record low of 5.2% under the Supplemental Poverty Measure (SPM). Unlike the traditional poverty measure, the SPM reflects the poverty-reducing effects of tax credits and non-cash benefits like food assistance.

The CTC expansion expired in 2022 after Congress failed to renew it. But federal lawmakers will have an opportunity to revisit that decision when they return to Washington later this fall.

“The success of the Child Tax Credit expansion was undeniable,” Alabama Arise executive director Robyn Hyden said. “This policy slashed child poverty and helped families make ends meet across our state and our country. Congress needs to renew the Child Tax Credit expansion and make it permanent. And our state lawmakers should do their part to help Alabama families keep food on the table by ending the state grocery tax and replacing the revenue in a responsible way.”

Inflation Reduction Act will make Alabama healthier

By Robyn Hyden, executive director

The Inflation Reduction Act will help build a healthier future for people across Alabama. This plan will make health coverage more affordable for hundreds of thousands of Alabamians and millions of Americans. It will improve air quality by investing in clean energy and reducing emissions that fuel climate change. And it will pay for these investments by closing tax loopholes that subsidize profitable corporations and wealthy households.

This plan will save money for patients and the federal government by allowing Medicare to negotiate certain prescription drug prices. It will cap the cost of insulin and other out-of-pocket drug expenses for Medicare enrollees. And it will extend enhanced subsidies that make health coverage more affordable for many of the 219,000 Alabamians with marketplace plans through the Affordable Care Act.

We’re happy that Congress passed this important legislation and that President Joe Biden signed it into law on Aug. 16. But we also know much work remains to empower all Alabamians to achieve their full potential.

We will continue advocating for state lawmakers to untax groceries and make other needed investments in families and communities. We’ll keep working for additional funding to make child care, housing and public transportation more affordable and available across Alabama. And we’ll continue pushing for Medicaid expansion to help more than 340,000 Alabamians who are uninsured or struggling to afford health insurance.

These policy choices are essential to improve Alabamians’ quality of life and to boost our state’s economic prosperity. We’re determined to see each and every one of them across the finish line. And with your support and energy – at the annual meeting and throughout the coming years – we’ll make it happen together.

Annual meeting to chart Arise’s course for 2023

By Chris Sanders, communications director

Grassroots democracy will be on display in a new way when Alabama Arise members choose our 2023 issue priorities at our annual meeting Saturday, Sept. 24. For the first time, we will meet both in person and online via Zoom.

As a member, you have the power to select the legislative priorities we will pursue in 2023. One new proposal will compete with five current priorities for five slots on next year’s issue roster.

Below, you’ll find more information on the annual meeting, along with member groups’ summaries of the new issue proposal. You’ll also find our policy staff’s overviews of the current issue priorities and updates on our two permanent priorities: adequate state budgets and tax reform.

We hope to see you in September as we gather to renew our shared commitment to building a better Alabama for all!

Things to know for our annual meeting

When:

Saturday, Sept. 24, 2022

10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

Where:

This is a hybrid event with options to attend in person as well as remotely via Zoom. To register, visit alarise.org/annualmeeting2022. There is no cost to attend, though donations are welcome.

Voting rules:

Member groups may cast up to 42 votes for issue priorities. Before the annual meeting, groups may designate up to six representatives to get seven votes each. Individual members get five votes each. (A person can vote as an individual or as a member group’s representative, but not both.)

Groups must be current on dues to be eligible to vote. Individual members must have given between July 1, 2021, and Aug. 25, 2022, to be eligible.

Voting for issue priorities will be conducted online. Members will present issue proposals during the meeting. Eligible voters will receive a link and instructions after the meeting. If Arise doesn’t have your email, you will receive a postcard with voting information.

For more information:

If you have questions or need to update your contact info or group voters, call 334-832-9060 or email info@alarise.org.

Permanent issue priorities

Tax reform

Alabama legislators made minimal improvements to the state’s broken tax system during the 2022 regular session. As is common in an election year, they passed tax breaks for businesses, local nonprofits and retirees. On a more progressive note, lawmakers excluded the federal Child Tax Credit from state taxation. They also approved an income tax cut for Alabamians with low incomes through small but meaningful improvements to the standard deduction and dependent exemption.

Still, despite a bipartisan push and strong public support, legislators again failed to take the state sales tax off groceries. To improve life for everyday Alabamians of all backgrounds and strengthen public services that benefit us all, the Legislature should:

• Eliminate the state sales tax on groceries and replace that revenue through progressive income tax changes. Alabama is one of three states with no grocery tax break.
• Eliminate the regressive state income tax deduction for federal income taxes. Nearly 90% of the deduction’s benefits go to the top 20% of households.
• Reject future corporate tax cuts and adopt combined reporting to prevent corporate tax avoidance.
• Increase property taxes on large landowners and raise taxes on items like tobacco and vaping products.

Compiled by Carol Gundlach, senior policy analyst

Adequate state budgets

Thanks in part to federal relief funds, Alabama went into 2022 with significant revenue increases despite the COVID-19 recession. This allowed the Legislature to pass 2023 budgets with record expenditures, including salary increases for state employees and teachers. Revenues have remained healthy, and the state likely will have enough money to cover basic needs in its 2024 budgets.

This rare surplus could allow legislators to consider how to address Alabama’s long-term investment needs. The Legislature should take advantage of this opportunity to:

• Close the Medicaid gap and provide life-saving health coverage to more than 300,000 Alabamians.
• Replace the state sales tax on groceries by increasing income taxes on the top 1%.
• Increase spending for mental health care, substance use treatment and public health services.
• Fund alternatives to incarceration such as drug treatment, mental health treatment, job training and community correction services.
• Expand pre-K education and child day care services.
• Invest for the first time in the state Housing Trust Fund and Public Transportation Trust Fund.

Pathways for Medicaid expansion

The American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) includes a provision that would allow Alabama to access an estimated $619.4 million in additional federal funds. This would make Medicaid expansion more affordable and sustainable than it has been since expansion first became available in 2014. This additional money, on top of the generous and permanent 90/10 federal match of state Medicaid expansion funds, could result in the federal government covering $397 million in annual expenses now paid by the state.

Alabama Medicaid thus far has not used those additional funds to increase services. However, the Legislature this year did provide additional General Fund money to extend Medicaid postpartum coverage from 60 days to 12 months after childbirth starting this October.

Compiled by Carol Gundlach, senior policy analyst

New issue proposal

Universal broadband access

Submitted by Anna Pritchett, AARP Alabama, and Benard Simelton, Sr., Alabama Chapter of the NAACP

High-speed internet access, affordability and training are essential. High-speed internet enables all Alabamians to benefit fully from technologies that improve quality of life. Broadband can facilitate access to education, health care, career services and more. To have these options, high-speed networks must be available, affordable and support bandwidth-intensive applications for a rapidly growing user base.

Last year, the Legislature created the Alabama Digital Expansion Division within the Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs (ADECA) to oversee and advise the statewide connectivity plan. This move came just as federal funds from the American Rescue Plan Act and the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law are flowing into the state. This is a welcome start, but much work remains to ensure transparency, accountability, equity and affordability.

Roughly 19% of Alabama homes do not have adequate broadband coverage, according to the Alabama Connectivity Plan. For areas with coverage, approximately 20% of Alabama households do not subscribe to high-speed internet services due to the costs.

For the upcoming year, Alabama Arise can advocate for the Legislature and ADECA to:

• Eliminate the barriers to adoption of high-speed internet using strategies such as creating a task force to ensure the Alabama Digital Expansion Division is adequately working to connect the 19% of Alabama households without broadband services.
• Support the adoption of state and local digital equity policies and programs.
• Promote informed decision making by requiring the state and localities to utilize data-driven policymaking like improving broadband data collection, analysis and reporting to target intervention effectively to those most likely to be left out.
• Develop a multipronged public outreach campaign to connect consumers to federal subsidy programs.

Current issue priorities

Criminal justice reform

Court fees and fines impose heavy burdens on many struggling families. Driver’s license suspensions over unpaid fines can cause Alabamians with low incomes to lose their jobs. Draconian sentences keep many people in prison far beyond any bounds of proportionality or purpose. Cash bail for minor offenses can imperil families’ economic security. And multiple fees can stack up, making it impossible to move on from a conviction because consequences never end. In Alabama, people are subject to 63 separate fees in the criminal justice system – including a $1 fee for paying fee installments.

Arise supporters achieved a major victory this year with passage of HB 95, which created a 180-day grace period for formerly incarcerated people to begin payments on their fines and fees. HB 200, which would have limited the circumstances under which driver’s license suspensions could be issued, also made significant progress through the Legislature before eventually falling short. This bill will be a top priority for our criminal justice advocacy in the upcoming session.

The state’s sentencing scheme still needs systemic overhaul. Broad coalition efforts to reform the state’s sentencing structure, decouple financial payments from voting rights restoration, and institute other reforms that allow Alabamians to rebuild their lives after convictions continue. Arise has the opportunity to advance our core mission by pushing these reforms forward.

Death penalty reform

Alabama’s capital punishment system is unjust, unreliable and often used in a racially biased manner. Our state executes at nearly double the national average. We’re the only state that doesn’t fund legal aid to death row prisoners. And state laws offer insufficient safeguards against executing people who are mentally incapable of understanding their actions.

People’s lives shouldn’t depend on which administration is in power or whether state judges face election that year. Arbitrariness in death sentences is a longstanding and shameful failure of the criminal justice system.

Alabama is the only state that permits death sentences to be issued via non-unanimous jury sentencing decisions. Arise has supported a bill to remedy that injustice. We’ve also supported bills to create an execution moratorium and increase transparency in lethal injection procedures. And we support legislation to make the 2017 ban on judicial override apply retroactively. That law forbade judges from imposing a death sentence when the jury recommends life imprisonment without parole. But the law didn’t apply to people already on death row.

Alabama’s death penalty practices reflect deep racial inequities. Before judicial override ended, judges imposed death against a jury’s determination more often in cases where victims were white. And the state argued as recently as 2016 that it should be able to kill a prisoner even when a judge explicitly cited race at the sentencing hearing. Much work remains to modernize Alabama’s justice system and prevent unjust executions.

Payday and title lending reform

Every year, high-interest loans trap thousands of struggling Alabamians in a cycle of deep debt. Payday loans are short-term (usually two-week) loans charging high annual percentage rates (APRs), most commonly 456%. Auto title loans charge up to 300% APR and also carry the risk of repossession of the vehicle. Alabama also has no title loan database, leaving the extent of harm from these loans unknown.

These high-cost loans strip wealth from borrowers and hurt communities. Payday lenders are on track to pull approximately $1 billion in fees out of Alabama communities over the next decade, with most of that money flowing to out-of-state companies. Predatory lending practices disproportionately target people of color and exacerbate the economic challenges in struggling rural and urban areas.

Arise and partners have supported reforms for more than 15 years. Recent state-level efforts have run into well-financed lobbying to stall popular reforms, but the federal landscape has improved recently. In June 2021, the U.S. House voted to roll back a rule allowing payday lenders to use federal bank rules to avoid state interest caps. And in the U.S. Senate, the Veterans and Consumers Fair Credit Act would extend the Military Lending Act’s 36% rate cap to other consumers.

Public transportation

Robust state investment into public transportation would improve the quality of life for many Alabamians. Transit availability affects a wide range of Alabamians of diverse geographies, incomes and races. Many people, whether transit-dependent or not, have witnessed or experienced barriers posed by the state’s inadequate transit services.

For seniors, workers with low incomes and individuals with disabilities, the lack of reliable and affordable transportation is a barrier to daily living. The lack of vehicles, drivers and funding means many Alabamians cannot get to work, school or the doctor’s office in a reasonable time. The COVID-19 pandemic only worsened the harm resulting from lack of state support of transportation. Limited funding has forced some local transit systems to curtail specialized services for riders with disabilities or serious health conditions.

Alabama is one of only three states that provide no state funding for public transportation. The Legislature took steps to remedy this failing by creating the Public Transportation Trust Fund (PTTF) in 2018. However, the law did not provide an initial appropriation or a dedicated funding source. If funded, the PTTF could allow for increased federal investment that requires non-federal matching dollars.

Next year, Alabama has an opportunity to advance public transportation by investing $20 million from its remaining American Rescue Plan Act funds into the PTTF. This move would empower the state to improve quality of life for everyone through expanded, reliable public transportation.

Voting rights

One shameful legacy of Alabama’s white supremacist history is a voting rights structure hostile to democratic participation, especially for people of color. Our state still creates and preserves barriers that prevent otherwise qualified citizens from voting. One example was Alabama’s 2015 attempt to close driver’s license offices in the Black Belt soon after passage of a strict photo ID voting requirement.

Arise seeks to remove systematic barriers to democracy by creating automatic voter registration (AVR) and ending the modern poll tax of forcing some formerly incarcerated people to pay all fines and fees before regaining voting rights. AVR would save the state millions of dollars and would likely increase turnout rates significantly. For example, Georgia’s turnout rate increased more than 10% after implementing AVR.

The 2022 regular session saw some modest progress toward greater voter access. A bill improving the voting rights restoration process passed the Senate but not the House.

But alarmingly, lawmakers also introduced many bills that threatened to limit voting rights and voter participation. Unfortunately, one of them (HB 194) became law over fierce opposition. This act, still unclear in its application, could chill get-out-the-vote efforts by nonprofits and community groups. We expect to see more bills next year, fueled by false narratives about the 2020 election, that would harm many Alabamians’ ability to vote.

Compiled by Rebecca Howard, policy and advocacy director, and Mike Nicholson, policy analyst

Welcome to Arise, Jacob!

Jacob Smith joined Arise in May as the development director. In his role, he ensures the

organization’s financial stability by overseeing corporate and foundation relationship management and individual giving and membership. Jacob has more than a decade of nonprofit experience in fundraising and program management. Jacob previously served as the senior director, philanthropy and research at Women’s Foundation of Alabama and as assistant director of development at YWCA Central Alabama.

We’re hiring!

Arise policy and advocacy director Rebecca Howard has accepted a staff position in the U.S. Senate. We’re seeking a new policy and advocacy director to continue our work for dignity, equity and justice for Alabamians who are marginalized by poverty.

The ideal candidate will be an experienced manager and public policy advocate who is passionate about justice, opportunity and racial equity. Visit alarise.org/about/employment for more details on the position and information on how to apply. Applications will be accepted until Wednesday, Aug. 31, 2022, at 11:59 p.m. CDT.

Highs and lows: Alabama Arise’s look back at the 2022 regular session

By Rebecca Howard, policy and advocacy director

The Alabama Legislature’s 2022 regular session adjourned sine die on April 7. Lawmakers capped off the session’s last week with intense debates and late nights, with the final gavel dropping just before midnight.

Alabama Arise is grateful for the many positive outcomes that came out of the State House this year. We also were glad to play a role in stopping several misguided pieces of legislation from becoming law. These wins wouldn’t have been possible without the support of Arise’s determined members and various coalition partners.

We were not able to get every good bill across the finish line or stop every harmful legislative effort from happening. But Arise saw real progress on several important issue priorities this year. Keep reading for recaps on some of the key bills we supported or opposed in 2022. Then visit our Bills of Interest page for updates on all of the legislation we tracked.

Adequate state budgets

Alabama’s fiscal year 2023 General Fund and Education Trust Fund budgets are both among the largest in state history. The General Fund budget of $2.7 billion includes a provision to extend Medicaid postpartum coverage from 60 days to 12 months, which will help reduce maternal mortality and improve health outcomes for more than 30,000 women. Rep. Laura Hall, D-Huntsville, has been a longtime legislative champion for postpartum Medicaid extension.

The Education Trust Fund budget of $8.2 billion will provide a major boost in teacher pay. The increases will range from 4% all the way to 21% depending on seniority.

SB 140, sponsored by Sen. Del Marsh, R-Anniston, did not pass this session. The bill would have allowed the diversion of hundreds of millions of dollars from public schools to private schools. Arise opposed this effort.

SB 261, sponsored by Sen. Dan Roberts, R-Mountain Brook, passed out of both chambers. This bill will increase the income tax credit filers can claim for contributions to scholarship granting organizations for private schools. Arise opposed this effort.

Tax reform

HB 163 and SB 19, sponsored by Rep. Lynn Greer, R-Rogersville, and Sen. Arthur Orr, R-Decatur, passed out of both chambers. This legislation will increase the standard deduction and dependent exemption. That change will provide a small but significant income tax cut for low- and moderate-income Alabamians. Arise supported this effort.

SB 43, sponsored by Sen. Andrew Jones, R-Centre, did not pass this session. The bills would have repealed the state’s 4% grocery tax and capped the state deduction for federal income taxes. Despite strong bipartisan leadership from Jones and Rep. Penni McClammy, D-Montgomery, the plan did not come up for committee consideration.

Arise strongly supported efforts to end the state grocery tax. This included dozens of members gathering for an Untax Groceries Rally at the State House in Montgomery on March 15. The rally was Arise’s first major in-person event since February 2020.

Voting rights

HB 53 and SB 6, sponsored by Rep. Laura Hall, D-Huntsville, and Sen. Linda Coleman-Madison, D-Birmingham, passed the Senate but did not advance to the House floor. The bills would have eliminated application requirements for voting rights restoration. They also would have restored the right to vote for many indigent individuals. Arise supported this effort.

HB 63, sponsored by Rep. Debbie Wood, R-Valley, did not pass this session. The bill would have criminalized the prefilling of any voter application or absentee ballot application. Arise opposed this effort.

Hall’s HB 167 failed to pass this session. This legislation would allow inmate identification cards to be used as valid ID for voting. Arise supported this effort.

HB 194, introduced by Rep. Wes Allen, R-Troy, passed out of both chambers. The bill will prohibit state and local election officials from soliciting, accepting or using donations for election-related expenses. Arise opposed this effort.

Criminal justice reform

HB 52, sponsored by Rep. Jim Hill, R-Moody, passed out of both chambers. This bill will allow judges to use discretion in the length of someone’s sentence if their probation is revoked. Arise supported this effort.

HB 95, sponsored by Rep. Jeremy Gray, D-Opelika, passed out of both chambers. The bill will create a 180-day grace period for people to repay court-imposed fines and fees following release from incarceration. Arise supported this effort.

SB 203, sponsored by Orr, passed out of both chambers. This bill will require the Administrative Office of Courts to establish a database of municipal fines and fees. Arise supported this effort.

HB 230, sponsored by Rep. Rolanda Hollis, D-Birmingham, passed out of both chambers. This bill will ban the routine shackling of incarcerated individuals during pregnancy, delivery and immediate postpartum time. Arise supported this effort.

HB 200 and SB 117, sponsored by Rep. Merika Coleman, D-Birmingham, and Sen. Will Barfoot, R-Montgomery, failed to pass this session. The bills would have ended driver’s license suspensions for failure to pay fines and fees. Arise supported this effort.

SB 220, sponsored by Sen. Linda Coleman-Madison, D-Birmingham, failed to pass this session. The bill would have required that time served awaiting a hearing for parole violation be applied retroactively. Arise supported this effort.

HB 2, sponsored by Rep. Allen Treadaway, R-Morris, did not pass this session. This anti-protest bill would have created minimum holding periods for people accused of the crimes of rioting or interfering with traffic. It also would have penalized certain local jurisdictions that reduce funding for law enforcement. Arise opposed this effort.

Hill’s HB 55 failed to pass this session. The bill would have required every judicial circuit to establish a community corrections program. Arise supported this effort.

Unemployment insurance benefits

Orr’s SB 224 passed out of both chambers. This bill will impose additional job search requirements as a condition of eligibility for unemployment insurance benefits.

Specifically, the bill will require individuals to show a “reasonable and active effort” to find work by providing proof every week that they have contacted at least three prospective employers. Unless a new job notice has been posted, a job seeker cannot apply for or seek work at an employer where they already made contact. Arise opposed this effort.

Food security

Orr’s SB 156 did not pass this session. The bill would have required both custodial and non-custodial parents to cooperate with child support enforcement to qualify for SNAP food assistance. Arise opposed this effort.

‘Divisive concepts’

HB 312 and SB 292, sponsored by Rep. Ed Oliver, R-Dadeville, and Sen. Will Barfoot, R-Montgomery, did not pass this session. The bills would have prohibited the teaching of “divisive concepts” related to race, religion and sex in public K-12 schools, colleges, universities and certain state training programs. Arise opposed this effort.

Join us online for Town Hall Tuesdays!

By Presdelane Harris, organizing director

Listening is key to shaping and advancing public policies that matter most to those marginalized by bad policies. Alabama Arise depends on what we hear to help guide our work toward our vision of a better Alabama for all.

Our online Town Hall Tuesdays will return once again this year. These events are a chance to hear issue updates and share your vision for our 2023 priorities.

Please join us this summer to help identify emerging issues and inform our actions. Visit al-arise.local/2022townhalltuesdays to register (required) for any or all of the sessions. These virtual events will begin at 6 p.m. on July 12, July 26 and Aug. 9.

Annual meeting: Save the date

Mark your calendars for the Arise annual meeting on Saturday, Sept. 24.

Member groups can submit 2023 issue proposals by Aug. 5. More details about the meeting and issue proposal process are coming soon.

Summer food service programs need to be preserved

By Carol Gundlach, senior policy analyst, and Celida Soto Garcia, hunger policy advocate

The COVID-19 pandemic added to the hunger challenges already facing many Alabamians. In response came a wave of federal flexibilities and waivers for the nation’s programs that feed children. As a result, many Alabama students have received nutritious, often free meals with fewer administrative barriers.

However, many of these child nutrition waivers could be coming to an end soon ‒ unless state officials and concerned Alabamians act quickly.

For the past two summers, the Summer Food Service Program’s flexibilities have included permitting non-congregate meal service. This allows parents, guardians or children to take meals from the pickup site. It also allows meal provision for multiple days at once.

But unless the Alabama State Department of Education requests an extension, these flexibilities will end June 30. That would be in the middle of summer food service, causing undue stress and confusion to students, educators and families. Alabama Arise and other partners in the Hunger-Free Alabama coalition sent a letter to state school Superintendent Eric Mackey urging him to ask the U.S. Department of Agriculture for an extension for the rest of summer. Read the full letter at al-arise.local/summerfoodletter.

The continued push for community eligibility

As we continue pushing for extended flexibility, it is important to keep building support for the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP). This option allows more than 450 high-poverty schools across Alabama to offer breakfast and lunch at no charge to all students. Arise members should contact their local school superintendents and urge them to opt into CEP if they haven’t already. Parents and guardians can take an extra step by submitting their school meal application to the appropriate school district.

Food insecurity is a challenge for 16.1% of Alabamians, including 20.4% of Alabama’s children, according to 2021 projections from Feeding America. These numbers are unacceptable and should not increase further because of preventable deadlines. Arise will continue to work proactively with local, state and national partners to expand food access across the state.

A life-saving move: Alabama extends postpartum Medicaid coverage

By Jane Adams, Cover Alabama campaign director

Alabama is on its way to reducing maternal mortality and improving health for families across the state ‒ but we can’t stop here.

Lawmakers and Gov. Kay Ivey last month enacted a budget that extends postpartum Medicaid coverage to a full year after childbirth. That is up from the previous cutoff of only 60 days after birth. Alabama Arise and other members of the Cover Alabama Coalition will continue to work with the governor’s administration and legislators to ensure this program is sustainable and permanent.

Alabama has the nation’s third-worst maternal death rate. Each year, nearly 40 new mothers in the state die within one year after delivery. The toll on Black mothers is nearly three times that of white moms.

Research shows that outcomes improve when moms have access to high-quality, equitable and uninterrupted care. Extending the Medicaid postpartum coverage period is a big step to save lives and improve the health and well-being of families, communities and the entire state.

The work that remains

This is an exciting win, but we know that one year of coverage is, ultimately, not enough. And we know the solution: The most effective way to reduce maternal deaths is to make sure people giving birth have access to care before, during and after pregnancy. We need full Medicaid expansion, and we won’t stop until we get it.

Medicaid restrictions are not affecting only new parents. More than 220,000 Alabamians are caught in our health coverage gap, earning too much to qualify for Medicaid and too little to afford private insurance. And another 120,000 are stretching to pay for coverage they cannot afford. Expanding Medicaid would give these Alabamians the health care that they need to survive and deserve to thrive.

By working together, postpartum Medicaid extension will be only the first of many wins toward creating a more equitable state health care system. It’s been a long fight, but I know we can do this.

Community-driven ideas can improve health outcomes

By Presdelane Harris, organizing director

Imagine a world where the people most harmed by hunger and food insecurity exercise their power to propose their own solutions to address this social determinant of health.

What might happen if health care systems were responsive to those solutions? And what if a group of dedicated community leaders, organizations and civic groups rallied together to implement those solutions? That’s what Alabama Arise and our partners resolved to find out near the Gulf Coast.

In Mobile and Baldwin counties, 55% of people live in food deserts. These are defined as Census tracts with low or no access to healthy foods. So after convening more than 100 community members and their families for a series of listening sessions, our grassroots partners from Mobile’s Trinity Gardens neighborhood proposed launching a “produce prescription” project to benefit regional Medicaid participants. Thanks to community organizing, mobilization and partnership, their dream is becoming a reality.

Once a month, participants receive a box of fresh produce as part of a Produce Prescription Program developed by our partners at the American Heart Association and staffed by community partners and volunteers. The Heart Association’s data has shown that where this program has been implemented, participants experience measurable health improvements. Organizing and advocacy for community-based solutions improves health outcomes.

Arise continues to work with community leaders and partners to urge Medicaid to fund more community-led projects. When we facilitate getting resources to communities, they become hubs for equity and innovation. Community-driven ideas can help shape programs that improve overall health outcomes.

To learn more about this program and how you can help, email me at pres@alarise.org.

Alabama needs to invest in its people

By Robyn Hyden, executive director

Do you know how hard it is to pass just one bill in the Alabama Legislature? We often measure progress on our issue priorities over periods of four-year quadrenniums, or even decades. So it’s remarkable that during the 2022 regular session, Arise members helped pass numerous priority bills on everything from equitable tax reforms and adequate state budgets to criminal justice reforms.

Still, many of our lawmakers do not share our vision for a truly inclusive economic recovery. When it comes to spending the remaining $1 billion in American Rescue Plan Act funds to build a lifeboat for all Alabamians hit hard by COVID-19, it’s our job to help them see the vision. As we look ahead to another special session on ARPA funds, we’re working to tell lawmakers what you all know to be true: Investments in our people, our most valuable resource, are what matter most.

Check out our ARPA advocacy resources at al-arise.local/arpatoolkit. And tell your lawmakers now that you expect them to use this opportunity to address longstanding human needs.

Donate today to keep momentum going!

By McKenzie Burton, development associate

Because of your support, we made some important gains during this legislative session that will benefit Alabamians with low incomes. But we know we still have a long way to go. Will you donate today to keep up this momentum toward a more equitable Alabama?

Over the course of the session, we built more bipartisan support for untaxing groceries than ever before. We successfully extended postpartum Medicaid coverage from 60 days to a full year. And we stopped harmful legislation that would have made it more difficult for single parents to receive SNAP food assistance.

We know that with continued, concerted effort, we can expand SNAP benefits for people who need it. We can end the tax on groceries once and for all to make food more affordable for all Alabamians. And we can finally expand Medicaid statewide.

Will you join Alabama Arise or renew your membership to support our year-round advocacy and organizing efforts? Together, we can make a difference in the lives of people with low incomes across our state. You can donate online today, or send a check to P.O. Box 1188, Montgomery, AL 36101.

Welcome, Formeeca and Jennifer!

Alabama Arise continued to expand its staff this year, and we are happy to welcome both Formeeca Tripp and Jennifer Harris to the team!

Formeeca Tripp joined Arise as our southeast Alabama organizer in April. She has served as a community health worker addressing health disparities and providing free COVID-19 testing and vaccine sign-ups at mobile sites and clinics throughout southeast and east-central Alabama. She also served as an intervention/behavior specialist for the Alabama Council on Human Relations, advocating for children, families and education staff.

Formeeca is originally from Syracuse, N.Y., and has lived in Auburn for more than 12 years. She is a single mother of two children, one of whom has autism. Formeeca is pursuing her undergraduate degree in social work at Auburn University. She is set to graduate in December 2022 and will be the first in her family ever to receive an undergraduate degree.

Jennifer Harris joined Arise in April as our health policy advocate. Born and raised in Alabama, she is a two-time graduate of the University of Alabama, where she earned her J.D. and B.S.W. Jennifer has worked her entire career in advocacy and nonprofit administration.

Most recently, she was the executive director of the Sickle Cell Association – West Alabama Chapter Inc. Jennifer previously worked as a social worker trainer/recruiter for prospective foster and adoptive parents and was the executive director of Shoals CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates) in Florence.

Other staff moves

Arise also recently had two other staff members take on new and expanded roles. Dev Wakeley is now Arise’s worker policy advocate, after serving as a policy analyst since 2018. Mike Nicholson is now a policy analyst after serving as our southeast Alabama organizer since 2018.

Speaking out at our Untax Groceries Rally

Alabama Arise held a rally at the Alabama State House on March 15 to urge lawmakers to untax groceries. We were grateful that more than 50 Arise supporters came to Montgomery to speak out. We also appreciated hearing from two legislative champions of untaxing groceries: Sen. Andrew Jones, R-Centre, and Rep. Penni McClammy, D-Montgomery.

Photo captions: Rep. Penni McClammy, D-Montgomery, and Sen. Andrew Jones, R-Centre, spoke on the importance of removing the state sales tax on groceries in Alabama. And Arise members brought a variety of creative signs to show their support for untaxing groceries. Thank you to Jill Friedman for taking photos during the rally!