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In the News
Prison policy recommendations put major focus on recidivism
Alabama's lack of investment in mental health care and substance use disorder treatment is a huge factor in our state's prison overcrowding. "The biggest way to address it would be Medicaid expansion," Arise's Dev Wakeley tells WSFA 12 in Montgomery. Learn more from WSFA 12 News.
In the News
What could President Trump’s new Medicaid funding model mean for Alabama?
Instead of accepting a federal block grant, "Alabama's best option is to go for full Medicaid expansion," Arise's Jim Carnes tells ABC 33/40 in Birmingham. "[That] would bring the maximum federal dollars in the state, and it would guarantee all the people newly covered under Medicaid expansion the same protections anyone receiving Medicaid now gets." [...]
Blog
Arise 2020: End Alabama’s state grocery tax and protect school funding
The Bible says that “to everything there is a season.” And we’re increasingly optimistic that the season has finally arrived for real tax reform in Alabama. For more than a decade, Alabama Arise has worked to end the state’s 4% sales tax on groceries. It’s a regressive, punitive tax that costs struggling Alabamians the equivalent [...]
Blog
Arise 2020: Expand Medicaid to save lives and make Alabama healthier
Happy anniversary – not! 2020 marks the 10th year of Medicaid expansion under the Affordable Care Act, but not in Alabama. We’re one of just 14 states that have rejected federal funding to extend affordable health coverage to adults with low incomes. And soon, Kansas may cut that number to 13. The stakes have only [...]
Blog
Arise 2020: Fight harmful proposals to cut Medicaid, SNAP and TANF
Safety net programs are designed to protect us when times get tough. But a recent wave of legislative and administrative attacks to those programs has threatened vital food and health assistance for millions of families across Alabama and the nation. The stakes are high for people who struggle to make ends meet. Medicaid is a [...]
Fact Sheet
A strong safety net means a stronger Alabama for all
We all know that people get down on their luck sometimes. They lose a job, have a sick child or need time to recover from an injury. And most Alabamians – understanding that “there, but for the grace of God, go I” – want to do what they can to help people going through a [...]
Blog
Arise 2020: Why Alabama should fund public transportation
Public transportation is vital infrastructure for a state looking toward the future. It allows people who lack other transportation options – including seniors, people with disabilities, and people who can’t afford a car – to get to work, go to the doctor and meet other basic needs. Reliable public transportation strengthens communities and makes a [...]
Blog
Arise 2020: Break down barriers to voting rights in Alabama
Voting is an essential tool for people to speak out about the future they want. By breaking down barriers to voting, we promote greater civic engagement. And we make it easier for folks to make their voices heard about issues that matter in their communities. Alabama’s sad history of racist voting restrictions means our state [...]
Fact Sheet
The new poll tax: Court debt and voting rights in Alabama
Everyone should be able to have a voice in governmental decisions that affect their daily lives. Voting is the most straightforward way Alabamians have to shape those decisions. But our state has a long, sad legacy of voter suppression tactics. As a result, Alabama today has more disenfranchised citizens than California, a state with eight [...]
In the News
In Alabama: The work to halt falling rates of uninsured children
Children's health care is "one of the few bragging points that we have in our health care system," Arise's Jim Carnes tells Equal Voice News. But Alabama has seen a "downward turn" in its uninsured rate for children since 2016. Carnes discusses how Medicaid expansion would help families get and keep the health coverage they [...]