Blog
Public policy should make life better for everyone, not just a select few. Throughout the year, Arise tracks a range of state and federal policy proposals and assesses what they would mean for Alabamians who are struggling to make ends meet. Our blog provides quick updates on these proposals and offers tips on what you can do to help build an Alabama where all people have an opportunity to reach their full potential.
Blog
What we know so far about bills affecting Alabama workers in 2026
The Legislature’s 2026 regular session is well underway, and Alabama Arise is hard at work monitoring bills and advocating for better policy for the working people of Alabama. Below is an overview of some of that legislation and information about how Arise is working to build a better, more inclusive future for our state. For [...]
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Arise legislative update: Week of Jan. 19, 2026
Arise's LaTrell Clifford Wood focuses this week on one of our key hunger relief priorities: no-cost school meals. After the Legislature increased state funding for school meals last year, Alabama public schools served 2.8 million more breakfasts to our Alabama students in fall 2025. Greater access to school meals improves learning outcomes, and Arise is [...]
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Arise 2026: How we’re working to build a better Alabama
Alabama Arise believes in dignity, equity and justice for all. We believe in an Alabama where everyone's voice is heard and everyone has the opportunity to reach their full potential. And we believe better public policies are the key to building a brighter future for our state. Below, we'll share some details of that vision [...]
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Arise legislative update: Week of Jan. 12, 2026
Arise's Robyn Hyden welcomes everyone to the Alabama Legislature's 2026 regular session. Watch to see what to expect this year and to learn more about our advocacy on school breakfast, protecting funding for public schools and other member-selected legislative priorities. Click the link below for a full rundown on our 2026 priorities. Full transcript: Happy [...]
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Southwest Alabama organizer Bernadette Allen brings new energy to Alabama Arise
Bernadette Allen is one of Arise’s newest staff members, joining our team as the Southwest Alabama organizer in May 2025. Like many other staff members, she began her career in a different field before joining Alabama Arise. Bernadette worked in the federal government for 18 years, retiring last May. In her free time, she sought [...]
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Arise’s 2026 priorities highlight our roadmap for change in Alabama
Nearly 600 members voted to affirm Alabama Arise’s 2026 legislative priorities after this fall’s Annual Meeting. In order, our priorities for the next four years will be: Health equity Hunger relief Adequate state budgets Inclusive democracy Justice reform Tax reform Worker power Arise adopted a new approach to member voting on legislative priorities for 2026, [...]
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Long federal road ahead for SNAP, health care
By Carol Gundlach, senior policy analyst, and Debbie Smith, Cover Alabama campaign director Alabama Arise believes that society should care for the most vulnerable in our nation—children, the elderly, those who are disabled and those who have fallen on temporary hard times. Since the Great Depression, Americans have been assured that, no matter how hard [...]
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My trip to South Africa: learning from another young democracy
I was fortunate this fall to join a unique learning exchange of 10 leaders from across the U.S. and 9 colleagues from South Africa. We spent a week traveling in their country and meeting with grassroots leaders, starting in Johannesburg and later moving to the coastal town of Durban to learn from their nation’s struggle [...]
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Join us this holiday season
We know people are struggling because of bad public policies, especially this year. We’re grateful to our partner organizations leading the charge with direct services. At Alabama Arise, we are focused on the root of the problem - improving policies for all Alabamians. Because you’re a member, you know that you can go to alarise.org/donate [...]
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What Alabamians need to know about Healthcare.gov tax credits and open enrollment for 2026
Hundreds of thousands of Alabamians will face higher health care costs if Congress does not act to extend the Enhanced Premium Tax Credits (ePTCs) that make Healthcare.gov coverage more affordable. These tax credits reduce monthly premiums based on how much money a family makes. That helps families who don’t have access to health insurance through [...]