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CHOOSE Act set to undermine funding for Alabama public schools
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 – [...]
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Arise legislative update: May 13, 2024
Arise's Akiesha Anderson gives a final update on the Alabama Legislature's 2024 regular session, which ended last week. We closed the session with a big advocacy win: Lawmakers approved the funding needed to provide Summer EBT food assistance for more than 500,000 children starting next summer! For more information about what happened this year, please [...]
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Arise legislative update: May 6, 2024
We welcome Arise's LaTrell Clifford Wood to this week's legislative recap to celebrate some good news: The Senate added $10 million to the Education Trust Fund budget for Summer EBT food assistance! Once the House agrees to this change with this modified budget and the governor signs off on it, the funding will start in [...]
News Releases
Summer EBT funding is a big win for Alabama’s children
The Alabama Senate Finance and Taxation Education Committee voted unanimously Tuesday to appropriate $10 million for Summer EBT administrative funding from the 2025 Education Trust Fund budget. Alabama Arise hunger policy advocate LaTrell Clifford Wood released the following statement Tuesday in response: “Every child needs and deserves healthy meals throughout the year. That’s why Alabama [...]
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Arise legislative update: April 29, 2024
Arise's Akiesha Anderson provides an update on where things stand in the final days of the Alabama Legislature's 2024 regular session. Unfortunately, we received unfavorable news last week on public transportation funding and legislation that would discourage employers from voluntarily recognizing a union. But we also have good news: Alabama lawmakers heard Medicaid expansion success [...]
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Arise legislative update: April 22, 2024
Arise's Akiesha Anderson brings you up to speed on all that happened last week at the State House plus gets you ready for the upcoming week. As the session is nearing an end, we still have action to take on securing public transportation funding and increasing penalties for child labor violations. We also are trying [...]
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Arise legislative update: April 15, 2024
Arise's Akiesha Anderson gives an update on where things stand in the Alabama Legislature as lawmakers begin to wind down the 2024 regular session. We still are keeping an eye on numerous bills, including the state budgets and legislation related to child care, death penalty reform and voting rights. Akiesha provides a rundown on some [...]
Fact Sheet
Summer EBT for 2025
A $15 million appropriation for Summer EBT would reduce hunger by providing eligible Alabama children $40 per summer month for food. 1 in 4 Alabama children are food insecure. Hundreds of thousands of Alabama children don’t know where their next meal will come from. And a disproportionate amount of food insecure children come from communities [...]
Fact Sheet
How can Alabama ensure Summer EBT for 2025?
Inspired by Pandemic EBT (P-EBT), Summer EBT provides $120 in SNAP benefits per categorically eligible child throughout the summer months.
Blog
State, federal budgets need to do more for children
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 [...]