Category: Blog

Meet the working men and women caught in Alabama’s health coverage gap

By Jim Carnes

As we celebrate Alabama’s workforce on Labor Day, here’s a fact that deserves special attention: More than 100,000 Alabamians are working without health insurance. They work in child care, construction, food services and other vital jobs. They’re the folks who keep things going.

Yet they’re trapped in the health coverage gap. They can’t afford employer-based coverage or private insurance. And they earn too much to qualify for Medicaid. As a result, many struggle with health problems that sap productivity, add household stress and get worse without timely care.

Here are the jobs employing the most working women in Alabama’s coverage gap:

And here are the jobs employing the most working men in Alabama’s coverage gap:

Think about the importance of these lines of work. Then think about what access to regular health care would mean in the lives of these workers and their families.

Across the country, 36 states have closed their coverage gaps, but Alabama is lagging behind. What’s holding us back?

Lack of awareness plays a part. As folks go about their daily activities, they rarely stop to wonder who has health insurance and who doesn’t. It’s not something most people talk about – but it should be. Helping state leaders understand the real people who will benefit most from expanding coverage is an important step toward change.

Our entire state would benefit from Medicaid expansion. Broader access to regular care would improve the health of working families. Healthier families would mean higher productivity at work and better learning at school. And the additional federal funding would strengthen our health system and create jobs.

All these gains would spell a brighter future for Alabama. It’s time to expand Medicaid and make health coverage affordable for the workers we all depend on every day.

Learn more about Arise’s 2020 issue proposals

By Alabama Arise

Grassroots democracy will be on display when Alabama Arise members choose our 2020 issue priorities at our annual meeting Sept. 7 in Montgomery.

The following proposals will be up for a vote for our 2020 legislative agenda.

Below, you’ll find member groups’ summaries of their new and modified proposals. And you’ll find our policy staff’s overviews of the current issue priorities and our two permanent priorities: tax reform and adequate state budgets. We hope to see you in September as we gather to renew our shared commitment to building a better Alabama for all!

New issue proposal

Housing Trust Fund revenue

Submitted by Gordon Sullivan, Low Income Housing Coalition of Alabama (LIHCA)

LIHCA thanks Alabama Arise and its members for supporting the Housing Trust Fund in 2018 and previous years. Our combined efforts resulted in social and political momentum to secure dedicated revenue for the Alabama Housing Trust Fund (AHTF)! We are here to ask for your continued support of the AHTF and help in securing dedicated revenue for the fund in 2020.

We believe safe, decent and affordable housing is a basic human right. Hard-working Alabamians should be able to pay rent and still be able to put food on the table. Unfortunately for many Alabamians, finding a safe and affordable home is only a dream. Alabama is in a housing crisis, with a lack of nearly 70,000 rental homes for folks surviving on minimum wage and fixed incomes.

Folks making minimum wage have to work 82 hours a week to afford a market-rate two-bedroom apartment. By doing so, they miss out on family suppers and Little League, because there simply aren’t enough hours in the day. Every child deserves a safe place to call home and a chance to have those who love them help with homework and read bedtime stories.

The AHTF created a fund to construct, rehabilitate and maintain homes for low-income households. Though the AHTF was created in 2012, it was enabling legislation and did not come with funding. That means we can’t create any new or rehabilitate any existing homes or address housing problems related to natural disasters. That is why LIHCA will seek dedicated revenue for the AHTF in 2020.

Proposed legislation to fund the AHTF

The bill, sponsored by Rep. Neil Rafferty, D-Birmingham, would increase the mortgage record tax from 15 cents to 20 cents for every $100 of a mortgage. This would put approximately $15 million per year in the AHTF. This type of revenue is a common funding source for housing trust funds across the country. In Alabama, this tax has not been increased since it was enacted in 1935.

We know that two-thirds of Alabamians (67%) see the lack of affordability as a problem in our state and that a strong majority (63%) of Alabamians are ready for state action to increase housing opportunities for households priced out of the market. Building on the momentum of previous years, we believe attaining bipartisan co-sponsors and endorsements from influential groups throughout the state is possible in 2020.

With the creation of new affordable homes in Alabama, families will begin to achieve economic stability. Communities will reduce blight. And the state will see an economic impact of nearly $1 billion over 10 years.

The dedicated revenue bill supports Arise’s values and its membership’s vision for addressing poverty in Alabama by investing in communities and helping low-income households access safe and affordable homes. The dedicated revenue bill will provide $15 million per year to create and rehabilitate homes for those in need. We have been successful in building momentum with Arise’s support in past years. Let’s work together to finish what we started!

Modified issue proposal

Voting rights

Submitted by Scott Douglas and Tari Williams, Greater Birmingham Ministries, and Ned Freeman, Birmingham Friends Meeting (Quakers)

Let’s build on Arise’s commitment to voting rights, continuing to prioritize automatic voter registration (AVR) and focusing on restoration of voting rights for Alabamians affected by felony disenfranchisement. Under AVR, Alabamians would be registered to vote by default, without having to register themselves, because the state already has the necessary information. And restoring voting rights for everyone would affirm basic ideals of democracy.

Historically, Alabama has been a leader among states with the most severely punitive disenfranchisement laws. These laws, with their blatantly racist history, have kept African Americans from the polls in enormous – and enormously disproportionate – numbers. Of the more than 280,000 disenfranchised felons in Alabama, nearly 150,000 are black, according to the Sentencing Project. That means that disenfranchised felons make up more than 15% of the state’s voting-age African American population.

Alabama’s felony disenfranchisement policies have disparate impact on individuals convicted of felonies who are poor, black or both. Therefore, we propose the introduction of legislation that will (a) remove the financial barrier of requiring payment of all fines, fees and/or restitution and (b) restore voting rights to individuals while on probation and parole. This legislation is not cost-prohibitive, may take one to three years to pass because of upcoming elections and is not potentially divisive for Arise members.

Alabama’s disenfranchisement laws have fostered an underclass of tens of thousands of people who are unable to vote because they do not have enough money. In 1964, the 24th Amendment abolished the poll tax, but to this day in Alabama, money keeps a disproportionate number of people away from the ballot box. People should not be barred from voting solely because they are unable to pay back their fines, fees and restitution.

Restoring voting rights to rebuild community ties

If we truly want people convicted of felonies to re-engage with society, become rehabilitated and feel a part of a broader community (thus creating incentives not to recidivate), then our state should do everything possible to reincorporate these individuals into mainstream society. In terms of being a just and even-handed society, it is not fair if thousands of people are unable to regain their voting rights because they are poor. People who are wealthy or have access to money are able to repay their financial debts. But poor people (the vast majority of people who have felony convictions) are not. This is an unjust system.

Individuals on probation and/or parole are actively working on retaining and/or rebuilding their ties to their families, employers and communities. Allowing them to reestablish ties as stakeholders in political life provides an analogous and important reintegrative purpose and promotes public safety.

Felony disenfranchisement provisions, especially in the South and particularly in Alabama, date back to the post-Reconstruction era. Their intent was always clear and explicit: to disenfranchise African Americans and preserve white domination.

Restoring voting rights and automatically registering voters is good policy. Arise prioritizing these policies also has the immediate benefit of putting a positive voting rights agenda in the public debate during an era when voting has been under attack.

Current Arise issue priorities

Criminal justice debt 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. 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 even a $1 fee for paying fee installments.

This year, Arise emphasized reforming civil asset forfeiture within the umbrella of criminal justice debt. This practice allows police to seize cash or other assets if they find probable cause to link the property to a crime. But the process doesn’t require a criminal conviction, or even a charge.

Originally intended to fight drug kingpins, civil asset forfeiture today sees heavy use against people accused of minor crimes. Underfunded law enforcement agencies have incentives to use forfeiture because they are often able to keep much of the seized property.

A philosophically diverse coalition is seeking to end forfeiture abuses in Alabama, and reform efforts already have borne fruit. In 2019, comprehensive reform efforts moved quickly at first but then slowed amid law enforcement opposition. Eventually, the Legislature passed incremental reform, mandating public reporting of property seizures. Public opinion strongly favors further change, and momentum continues to build.

Death penalty reform

Alabama’s capital punishment system is unreliable and racist. Our state hands down nearly double the national average of death sentences. We are the only state with no state-funded program providing legal aid to death row prisoners. And state laws give insufficient protection against executing people who were mentally incapable of understanding their actions.

Arise has worked for increased transparency on the lethal injection procedures and a three-year moratorium on executions. Bills were introduced but did not move in recent years. In 2017, the Legislature voted overwhelmingly to bar judges from imposing death sentences when a jury recommends life without parole. But the judicial override ban is not retroactive. About a fifth of the 175 people on Alabama’s death row received death sentences against the jury’s recommendation. We would like to enforce the override ban retroactively.

Alabama’s death penalty practices reflect deep racial inequities. Before the 2017 ban, judges imposed death against a jury’s determination more often when victims were white. The state argued as recently as 2016 that it should be allowed 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 erroneous 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), up to 456%. Auto title loans charge up to 300% APR and also carry the risk of repossession of the family vehicle.

These high-cost loans strip wealth from borrowers and hurt communities across Alabama. Payday lenders are on track to pull more than $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 communities.

Arise is part of a statewide coalition promoting interest rate caps on payday and title loans. In 2019, we supported legislation to give payday borrowers a 30-day repayment period – the same as other monthly bills – up from as few as 10 days now. But the bill didn’t move, despite the Senate Banking Committee chairman’s assurances that he would allow a vote.

The 30 Days to Pay bill’s sponsor – Sen. Arthur Orr, R-Decatur – is working to ensure it will receive consideration early in the 2020 regular session. Heavy citizen engagement will be needed to overcome the lending lobby.

Public transportation

Our state’s jumble of local transportation systems fails to meet the needs of many people in rural, suburban and urban areas. Alabama is one of just five states with no state public transportation funding. For many low-income workers, seniors and people with disabilities, the transit gap is a barrier to daily living. Many folks can’t get to work, school, the doctor’s office or other places they need to go in a reasonable amount of time.

Alabama took a good first step in 2018 by creating a state Public Transportation Trust Fund. But the law did not allocate any state money, even though it would be a high-return investment in our future. Each $1 million invested in public transportation creates 41 full-time jobs, research shows. Those jobs would fuel economic growth and improve quality of life in our communities.

Appropriations for the state trust fund would be eligible for a 4-to-1 federal match. So by not funding public transit, Alabama leaves millions of federal dollars on the table each year.

The General Fund remains a key potential source for state public transit funding. Greater Birmingham Ministries’ Economic Justice/Systems Change group also has urged Arise to support legislation in 2020 to allow Alabamians to dedicate part of their state income tax refund to public transit. The state already allows voluntary contributions for mental health care, foster care and other public services.

Compiled by Dev Wakeley, policy analyst

Permanent Arise issue priorities

Adequate state budgets

Our state’s upside-down tax system starves state budgets of money needed to invest in our shared future. Alabama provides almost no state money for child care. In-home services for parents of at-risk children receive a paltry $3 million a year, far less than other states. And young adults struggle to afford rising tuition and fees at universities and two-year colleges.

Alabama must address comprehensive sentencing and prison reform in 2020. The General Fund budget will need more revenue to pay for stronger investments in mental health care, substance use treatment, drug courts, community corrections and more corrections officers.

Arise’s health care advocacy has three main goals: defend, reform and expand Medicaid. Our defense work this year focused on Alabama’s pending plan to impose a catch-22 work penalty, which would strip Medicaid from thousands of parents with extremely low incomes. Looking ahead, we expect a new push to cut Medicaid by block-granting federal Medicaid funds to states.

We’ve seen progress on Medicaid reform. The statewide Integrated Care Network (ICN) for long-term care launched last October. And the long-delayed regional primary care reform takes effect this October. Arise has recruited consumer representatives for the ICN governing board and all seven Alabama Coordinated Health Network (ACHN) boards. Next year, we’ll push for the next step: Medicaid expansion, which would benefit more than 340,000 Alabama adults.

Tax reform

Alabama’s tax system is upside down. The rich get huge tax breaks, while the heaviest tax burden falls on people with low and moderate incomes. High, regressive sales taxes on groceries and other necessities drive this imbalance. So does the state’s deduction for federal income taxes (FIT), a skewed break that overwhelmingly benefits wealthy people.

Arise has fought to end the grocery tax for more than a decade. The central challenge is how to replace the $480 million it raises for education. In 2020, we’ll intensify our efforts to show legislators the powerful link between untaxing groceries and ending the FIT deduction.

Alabama is one of only three states where filers can deduct all federal income tax payments from state income taxes. This tax break disproportionately benefits wealthy people, who pay more in federal income taxes and are more likely to itemize. Ending the FIT deduction would bring in enough revenue to untax groceries, fund Medicaid expansion and meet other critical needs.

Compiled by Jim Carnes, policy director, and Carol Gundlach, policy analyst

Alabama Arise stands for dignity, equity and justice

By Robyn Hyden

People are hurting because of racial prejudice and white supremacy. The injury is not new, but violence and threats of violence toward people of color, immigrants and other vulnerable communities have been escalating in recent years, initiated by white nationalists.

It unfortunately is nothing new for America, or for the South, to experience this level of terror. Far too many groups have been targeted throughout our history. But it’s disturbing to see this escalation threatening our democracy and unraveling the progress so many have sacrificed to achieve.

One question our staff, our board and maybe some of you are asking is this: How can we stop this hatred?

We denounce white supremacy and white nationalism.

At Arise, we will continue our core work to lift policy barriers that marginalize people in poverty. And a key part of that is speaking out loudly and clearly for the dignity of all of our neighbors.

We must stand with our neighbors who are targets of hatred. That includes people who are Muslim, Jewish, Hispanic or Latinx. That includes people who are black, brown, white, indigenous, Asian or Middle Eastern. It includes people who are or were incarcerated. And it includes all people, whatever their gender, their net worth, their ZIP code or their country of origin.

We affirm your dignity, your worth and your right to live free from fear and persecution. You are not alone. Read our full statement on racial equity and inclusion here.

We will build connections and bridges with the people who are most vulnerable to attack.

With partners in the Alabama Equal Voice Network, Arise is planning a Grassroots Leadership Conference for early next year. The goal is to build closer connections between advocates across lines of race, ethnicity, language, gender, income level and geography. Our partners include the Alabama Coalition for Immigrant Justice, Hispanic Interest Coalition of Alabama, Alabama Institute for Social Justice, Greater Birmingham Ministries, VOICES for Alabama’s Children and the Women’s Fund of Greater Birmingham.

This network originally formed to build bridges across lines of division. And in times of crisis, the relationships that have been built are especially valuable. In planning this event together, I’ve found that coming together to work toward a joint purpose is profoundly uplifting.

Stay tuned for more information on this event in the coming months. But in the meantime, I hope you’ll reach out to build your own connections and support people in your own community who face so much fear. Please let your neighbors know they are not alone.

We will continue to fight efforts to chip away at human rights protections.

You have so many opportunities to speak out to protect human rights and human dignity. One step you can take right now: Speak out today to protect SNAP against yet another administrative attack. Arise members have fought off dozens of such attacks over the years – and we will continue to do so.

Another opportunity to learn more and speak out on the issues that matter to you is to attend Arise’s annual meeting on Saturday, Sept. 7, in Montgomery. You can find details and registration information here.

Every action you take matters. I hope you find encouragement in coming together, in organizing and in building a state where all people have the resources they need to live – and to thrive – free from fear.

How a proposed new SNAP rule would increase hunger for millions of Americans

By Carol Gundlach

The White House has proposed a new rule that would increase hunger for millions of Americans. The plan would require some states to reduce gross income limits for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) applicants. It also would force 42 states, including Alabama, to impose resource limits on applicants.

More than 3 million people would become ineligible for food assistance under the change, federal officials estimate. You can use this portal from the Food Research and Action Center (FRAC) to submit a public comment on the proposal now through Sept. 23.

The plan would require Alabama to impose an asset test, adding new red-tape barriers for nearly all SNAP participants. The state would have to verify numerous assets – including cash, property on which the family does not live, and the resale value above $4,650 for many vehicles – before a family could get assistance. Families with more than $2,250 in assets (or $3,250 for seniors or people with disabilities) would be denied SNAP.

Public policy shouldn’t discourage families to save small amounts to cover automobile repairs, unexpected medical bills or other emergencies. And many seniors have small savings accounts for long-term care or funeral expenses. But reinstating the asset test would punish these struggling families and seniors by denying them essential food assistance.

Federal officials will accept public comments on the proposal until Sept. 23. They must read and consider every comment, so please share your thoughts! Click here to submit your comment today through FRAC’s comment portal.

Help Arise add 37 more members by Aug. 8!

By Brenda Boman

Alabama Arise needs 37 more individual members by Aug. 8, 2019, to stay on track for another membership record. If you’re not an Arise member yet, please join with a gift of $15 or more today!

Arise is working to break down barriers for Alabamians living in poverty. We’re pushing for Medicaid expansion, untaxing groceries and other policy changes to make life better for struggling families. And the more members we have, the more likely we are to see breakthroughs on those issues.

If you join Arise by Aug. 8 at 11:59 p.m. CDT, you’ll be eligible to help choose our 2020 issue priorities at our annual meeting next month. Don’t miss this opportunity to join our movement for change – and please share it with your friends, too. Let’s build a better Alabama together!

The workers who would benefit most from Medicaid expansion in Alabama

By Jim Carnes

They’re the folks who keep things going: the people who serve food at restaurants, bag groceries, patch roofs and repair cars. They’re Alabamians with economically essential jobs that pay low wages.

But tens of thousands of these workers have no health coverage. As a result, they often struggle with health problems that sap productivity, add stress to their households and get worse without timely care.

Imagine what it would mean to the state’s business community to have a workforce with access to regular health care. And more importantly, imagine the peace of mind that coverage would bring for workers and their families.

Most uninsured Alabamians aged 19 to 64 who would qualify for expanded Medicaid coverage (those earning below 138% of the federal poverty level) are workers. The graphic below shows the nine industries employing the largest number of these workers. More than 70,000 work in food service, sales or construction.

Overall, more than 180,000 Alabama workers would gain health security from Medicaid expansion. Our businesses would gain a more reliable workforce. And our economy would gain billions of federal dollars, stronger tax revenues and thousands of new health care jobs.

Alabama Medicaid has succeeded in providing health care for children, people with disabilities, and seniors living in nursing homes. Our state can build on these gains and make coverage affordable for the workers we all depend on every day.

We thank you for helping us reach our goal!

By Matt Okarmus

We just finished our 2019 budget year here at Alabama Arise, and we wanted to thank our supporters for another record-breaking year of contributions! Arise’s Brenda Boman discusses why support from our individual members is such a key part of our advocacy for a better Alabama.

 

RSVP for our annual meeting in September!

By Alabama Arise

Registration is open for Alabama Arise’s 2019 annual meeting on Saturday, Sept. 7!

Arise members and member groups will vote that day on our priority issues for 2020. Please RSVP by Aug. 30 by clicking here or call the Arise office at 800-832-9060.

The meeting will be from 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Aldersgate United Methodist Church in Montgomery. Please bring $10 for lunch if you are able or use the link on the registration page to donate online.

Why join Arise?

By Brenda Boman

Montgomery is fortunate to be the home of several organizations shining a light on social and economic injustice. While these organizations have a shared goal to create a more just society, each serves a specific role.

Here are a few distinctions that, taken together, make Alabama Arise unique:

  • Alabama Arise is completely homegrown and unique to Alabama. Our founding members were Alabama churches and organizations whose members hoped to make utility bills and other basic needs more affordable for low-income people. They learned that the changes they wanted to make could only be addressed by the state legislature. Arise was launched in 1988 as an organization that would mobilize its members to promote legislation to exclusively address poverty issues. While Arise does network with policy organizations from other states, there is no Arise organization on a national scale.

  • Arise combines statewide organizing, policy analysis and advocacy to achieve our goals. Alabama Arise conducts independent research and shares findings with state lawmakers to help them understand how policy decisions affect people living in poverty. Armed with sound data, Arise promotes legislative actions to reduce poverty and remove barriers to prosperity. We employ a team of organizers who hold meetings throughout the state to raise awareness and to help people be a part of the democratic process. Timely communications alert constituents when your voices need to be heard. Arise also employs a professional lobbyist through our sister organization, Alabama Arise Action.

  • Alabama Arise is inclusive and member-driven. The Arise staff takes our marching orders from our members, who meet every September to choose the next year’s legislative agenda. Proposed issues must address poverty in Alabama. And to make sure that our leadership is also inclusive, Arise requires that at least half our board members be low-income people themselves or represent an organization that directly serves low-income Alabamians.

  • Alabama Arise is grassroots. Arise is supported by 150 churches and civic organizations and receives support from national and local foundations, but the biggest growth in recent years has been individual memberships ─ regular people who envision an Alabama where “all people have resources and opportunities to reach their potential to live happy, productive lives, and each successive generation is ensured a secure and healthy future.”

As we approach the end of our fiscal year on June 30, Alabama Arise hasn’t yet reached our budget goal. With ten days remaining, we need to raise an additional $7,000 to ensure that we will be able to carry out our mission. Please donate today to support our movement to improve health care, increase funding for education, child care and public transportation, improve life for people in poverty and make a better Alabama for all.

Why Arise is focusing on racial equity in our work

By Robyn Hyden

It seems to me that we are living through a time of historic political upheaval and transformation. While we continue to push forward policies to increase dignity, equity and justice, too often we end up playing defense.

Corporations exert more influence today than ever before to suppress the people’s power to organize and access the ballot. White supremacists advocate policies that suppress the rights of black and brown people, religious minorities and immigrants, using a well-worn playbook to build power and wealth at the expense of scapegoated targets. Their tactics prevent us from creating the great society that we imagine in our vision statement.

But something is happening in Montgomery to hold us accountable to our past and to call us towards more direct action. Since the groundbreaking of the Equal Justice Initiative’s Memorial for Peace and Justice and the accompanying Legacy Museum last spring, people are coming here from all over the world to learn about our nation’s history of racial terrorism. Visiting guests are often asking us for our perspective as Alabamians about how we can grapple with our state’s historic and ongoing failures to afford dignity, opportunity and justice to all people.

Against this backdrop, our board and staff have adopted a more explicit commitment to racial equity and inclusion. We know we can’t address poverty without acknowledging how our state’s investment in racial exploitation and discrimination created policies that have built wealth for a few, while disenfranchising the many. And if we don’t have a direct narrative to address ongoing racial inequality, extremists will tell a story about race that serves their own agenda.

As a result of this framework, we hope to create more advocacy tools, data and messaging to acknowledge race and to give grassroots advocates and communities the tools they need to fight, and win, in discussions about policy where racial prejudice is too often the subtext.

I look forward to hearing your thoughts and comments on this as we frame our work more directly to address racial injustice as a key part of winning on our agenda to increase dignity, equity, justice and opportunity for all.