Issue: Budgets

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

By Chris Sanders

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.

An infographic showing more than 8,900 Arise members took action this legislative session. 2,713 contacts on Summer EBT; 1,633 contacts on closing the health coverage gap; 1,555 contacts on workers' rights; 930 contacts on the CHOOSE Act; 688 contacts on protecting voting rights; and 1,417 contacts on other legislation.

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.

Summer EBT passage a hard-fought win for Alabama children

By LaTrell Clifford Wood

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!

CHOOSE Act set to undermine funding for Alabama public schools

By Carol Gundlach

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.”

Arise legislative update: May 13, 2024

By Whitney Washington

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 join Arise for our legislative session wrap-up on Tuesday, May 28, at 6 p.m. Register here.

Akiesha also shares the news that she will be leaving Arise later this month to accept a position with Represent Justice. We thank her for her work with Arise and wish her all the best in California!

Full transcript below:

Hi there. Akiesha Anderson here, policy and advocacy director for Alabama Arise, and I’m excited to be here to provide you with the final legislative update for the 2024 legislative regular session. Last week, we saw the Legislature wrap up the regular session after finally passing the Education Trust Fund budget. Alabama Arise and partners with the Hunger Free Alabama coalition worked tirelessly over the last few weeks to advocate for an appropriation of $10 million to $15 million to fund Summer EBT for 2025.

Thanks in large part to your help and the help of the thousands of Arise members that called and emailed legislators, we were able to end this legislative session with a huge win in the form of securing the $10 million needed to ensure that over half a million Alabama children who normally receive free or reduced lunch still receive meals that they elsewise might not might not have received due to school being out for the summer. I and the rest of the Arise staff are so tremendously grateful for your responsiveness to all the action alerts we sent out regarding this issue. It truly, truly, truly made a difference.

A few other notable happenings from last week include the passage of the General Fund budget, the passage of a child care tax credit bill, the passage of a workforce housing development bill and the passage of a bill that increases penalties for child labor violations. There was absolutely more. However, I hope that you will join me and the rest of the Arise team on Tuesday, May 28, at 6 p.m. for a much more thorough legislative wrap-up, where my team and I will talk in more depth about the highs and lows, wins and losses experienced this legislative session.

If you haven’t already received an email about how to register for that legislative wrap-up, simply email Pres Harris, our organizing director, at pres@alarise.org. That’s P-R-E-S at A-L-A-R-I-S-E dot O-R-G. You can email her for more registration information.

Lastly, it is with both deeper appreciation for you and the rest of the Arise family, along with a touch of sadness, that I share that this will unfortunately be my last legislative update video with Arise. At the end of this month, I will be transitioning to a new job with an Arise partner organization based in Los Angeles, California.

Some of you may know that my husband is from and located in Southern California and that during the legislative session, we are apart as I spend the session here in Montgomery. Well, as we prepare to try to grow our family, I have to make the bittersweet decision to transition to Southern California as well on a full-time basis.

Over the last two years, I cannot express how much each and every one of you have reminded me of how bright the future is here in my home state, where everyday people like us refuse to settle for the status quo, and where you all show up day in and day out to demand more. I hope that the fire that lights the fight within each and every one of you remains lit. We have certainly seen together — with the passage of both the grocery tax reduction, the $10 million Summer EBT allocation and so much more — what can happen when we refuse to let that fire be extinguished.

Again, I thank you for everything, and I hope to see you one final time at the legislative wrap-up taking place on May 28. Take care.

Arise legislative update: May 6, 2024

By Matt Okarmus

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 2025. This investment will reduce hunger for more than 500,000 Alabama schoolchildren during the summer months.

Full transcript below:

Hi everybody, my name is LaTrell Clifford Wood and I’m the Hunger Policy Advocate here at Alabama Arise. I’m excited to be here to talk to you today about two big legislative wins we’ve seen pertaining to hunger issues this session. That is Summer EBT and double up bucks.

Summer EBT will provide eligible school-age children with $40 per summer month for food in Summer 2025. While Double Up Bucks provides more fresh fruits and vegetables to SNAP recipients at select locations across the state.

Last week we saw appropriations made for Summer EBT in the Senate-passed version of the Education Trust Fund budget. This Tuesday we expect to see the budget return to the House floor where we anticipate it will move forward to Governor Ivey’s desk.

The inclusion of Summer EBT can be attributed, in part, to members like you, who’ve called, emailed and advocated for appropriation as it stands. It has amazed me to see the impact of your efforts firsthand. Summer EBT was by far our most sent action alert this session with over 2,400 emails sent to legislators. This is what collective advocacy can do.

I hope you all continue to be ready to keep the momentum as we continue to fight poverty and food apartheid across the state of Alabama. Thank you.

Summer EBT funding is a big win for Alabama’s children

By Chris Sanders

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 Arise is excited that the Senate’s education budget committee voted to include Summer EBT funding in the 2025 education budget. We hope that every legislator will support this important investment in child nutrition, and that Gov. Kay Ivey will sign it into law.

“Summer EBT will help reduce food insecurity for more than 500,000 Alabama children. This program will provide every eligible school-age child in a low-income household with $120 in food assistance each summer starting in 2025. These benefits will help ensure that children can continue getting the nutritious food they need when school meals are unavailable. This ultimately will help kids stay healthier and be better prepared to learn.

“Summer EBT also will provide an important economic boost for communities across our state. After the state provides a few million dollars to help cover administrative costs, Alabama families will receive tens of millions of dollars’ worth of Summer EBT benefits, which are 100% federally funded. That will spur around $100 million of economic activity every year across Alabama.

“This investment will bring a meaningful improvement to the lives of Alabama’s children for generations to come. We appreciate Sens. Vivian Figures, Garlan Gudger and Rodger Smitherman for championing Summer EBT funding in the Senate, and Reps. Barbara Drummond and Laura Hall for their support in the House. We thank committee chairman Sen. Arthur Orr for adding this funding to the education budget. And most of all, we are grateful for Alabama Arise members and other advocates from every corner of our state who relentlessly called, emailed and spoke out in support of Summer EBT.”

Arise legislative update: April 29, 2024

By Matt Okarmus

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 stories from Arkansas and North Carolina officials last week, and your determined advocacy for funding Summer EBT is making a difference! Check out more by visiting alarise.org and clicking on “Take Action.”

Full transcript below:

Hi there. Akiesha Anderson here, policy and advocacy director for Alabama Arise. Per usual, I am here to provide you with another legislative update. With only five legislative days left this session, there is a lot left to get done before the clock runs out. Before we get into what’s left to do, however, let’s briefly discuss what happened at the State House last week.

Last week began with Alabama Arise calling a public hearing in the Senate Finance and Taxation [Education] Committee on HB 145. HB 145 is the Education Trust Fund budget. During the public hearing that took place last week, we spoke about the importance of the Legislature including funding for Summer EBT for 2025 in the Education Trust Fund budget. Currently there is no funding for Summer EBT for either this summer nor next. Thus, we are trying to do everything in our power to ensure that next summer, the half a million kids that rely on school meals don’t go hungry during their summer break. We were grateful to be joined by several of our Hunger Free Alabama partners, including VOICES for Alabama’s Children, who testified about the importance of Summer EBT last week. And we look forward to seeing what unfolds this week regarding this issue.

Last week, we also saw HB 376 by Rep. Yarbrough pass out of the House Public Safety and Homeland Security Committee. If passed into law, this bill would allow local law enforcement to serve as a proxy for ICE and potentially target and racially profile many of our immigrant neighbors while trying to enforce federal immigrant laws.

Last week, we also saw SB 91 by Sen. Linda Coleman-Madison, which would have added an additional license tax fee as a mechanism to fund the Alabama Public Transportation Fund. Unfortunately, this bill received a 6-7 vote and thus failed to pass out of committee, Thankfully, however, Sen. Coleman-Madison has expressed a commitment to come back next year in pursuit of funding for public transit.

Last week, we also saw SB 231 by Sen. Arthur Orr pass out of the House. This is the bill that would strip companies of tax incentives if they voluntarily recognize their workers’ decision to form a union. This bill is one like Rep. Yarbrough’s bill that we are opposed to, and it is now slated to be back in the Senate and to potentially have a conference committee to discuss some of the amendments that were placed on it in the House.

Lastly, last week the House and Senate held a Joint Health Committee meeting, which was designed to discuss solutions for closing the health coverage gap. During this hearing, lawmakers heard from both Arkansas and North Carolina legislators or lawmakers, who shared with our lawmakers details about their quasi-Medicaid expansion plans that have been rolled out in each of their respective states.

Last week was a lot. Again, we are racing against a clock, so let’s move forward to what’s going to be on the tap for this week.

This week is slated to be a budget-heavy week. In the Senate, the General Fund, a supplemental General Fund, a cost-of-living increase for state employees, the Education Trust Fund and a supplemental Education Trust Fund will all be deliberated in committee on Tuesday.

We are optimistic that Sen. Arthur Orr will prove to be a hero to the half a million kids that I referenced earlier by ensuring that there is funding for Summer EBT in the Education Trust Fund budget this week. Also in committee this week will be SB 312 by Sen. Barfoot. This is a bill that will be deliberated by the House Judiciary Committee on Wednesday, and if passed, it will give people in prison an opportunity to attend their parole hearings virtually.

Lastly, neither here nor there, the Legislative Council will be meeting this Wednesday afternoon to discuss the State House construction project which is currently underway.

My friends, there is quite a bit left this legislative session, quite a bit slated for this week. However, as the clock continues to tick down, I’ll be sure to be here to continue to provide you with weekly updates. In the meantime, take care.

Arise legislative update: April 22, 2024

By Matt Okarmus

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 to curb anti-union and anti-immigration legislation. See more at alarise.org and clicking “Take Action.”

 

Full video transcript:

Hi there, Akiesha Anderson here, Policy and Advocacy Director for Alabama Arise here to give you yet another legislative update for the week of April 22.

Last week, quite a bit happened but I’m going to start with the Education Budget. So as you know, we are down to just a few legislative days left. Tomorrow when legislators go into the State House they will be on the 24th out of 30 legislative days. And it is essential that the legislature passes the Education Budget as well as the General Fund Budget. So last week we did see the Education Budget make it out of the House to be sent over to the Senate. One unfortunate reality about the Education Trust Fund budget is that unfortunately the $15 million needed for Summer EBT was not included in the House’s version of the budget. This is really unfortunate. We are still going to continue to push to see if we can get that money added to the budget in the Senate but I do want to make note that the House felt to allocate this money even despite the fact that there was a $15 million surplus or $15 million bucket of money that was set aside for Birmingham Southern back when the state intended on giving it a loan to bail it out of its financial trouble. There was $15 million that was previously allocated for Birmingham Southern that instead was allocated to a quasi slush fund for legislators basically to give out community grant money. And so Arise believes that this $15 million would be much better used ensuring that over half a million children have summer meals when school is out and so we are hopeful that we can make that argument in the Senate and we can ensure that children get fed over the summer.

Also related to budgets, last week HB 358, which is a bill sponsored by House Minority Leader Anthony Daniels. This piece of legislation was a childcare tax credit bill and it passed out of the House and so that is good news. It means that women and others that occasionally are forced out of the workplace to do caregiving for children might have some alternative ways to be in the workforce and ensure that they also have child care available. Some unfortunate yet also some good movement on several bills related to workers rights was seen last week. However, I will talk about that in more detail when I talk about what we’re watching this week at the State House.

But also last week we saw quite a bit of movement on some criminal justice related bills. So the judicial override bill sponsored by Rep. England as well as a bill requiring a unanimous jury before sentencing someone to the death penalty sponsored by Sen. Hatch, these both died in committee last week. So that was really unfortunate to see that the death penalty legislation that we were watching did not make it out of committee either in the senate or in the House Judiciary Committee last week. Despite that, however, there were some good parole bills that passed out of committee. This included HB 299 by Rep. England which essentially would create an appeal process for some people whose parole is denied. There also was movement on SB 312 by Sen. Barfoot. This piece of legislation also passed out committee and this would allow people to attend their parole hearings virtually. So that was really nice to see that there is some positive traction with regard to some parole bills. However, it remains to see be seen how much time is left in session whether or not these bills can make it over the finish line. Another piece of legislation that’s quasi criminal justice related a bit more education related, however, and that does have time to make it throughout the through the whole process for certain are some pieces of legislation introduced by Sen. Smitherman as well as Rep. Collins that would provide due process rights to students in K-12 Public Schools. So essentially if these pieces of legislation pass K-12 public school students will not be able to be suspended or expelled without certain due process criteria being met, essentially allowing them to tell their side of the story before they face those really harsh consequences that the school wants to impose.

Now, moving forward to this week. There are quite a few things that we are watching.

So first and foremost on Wednesday at 9 a.m. there is a Joint Health Committee meeting in which there will be a hearing on solutions for closing the health care coverage gap. And so we are super excited about that. This is only the second time in years that the legislature has spent time actually talking about the need for Medicaid expansion or addressing the health care coverage gap that we currently have in the state of Alabama so we’re looking forward to seeing what happens at that hearing. But we will definitely be in attendance and we hope that you are there as well if not able to make it in person definitely stream it online.

Also happening this week, SB 91 will be up in Finance and Taxation General Fund Committee in the Senate at 11:00 a.m. on Wednesday. This piece of legislation will be deliberated and for those of you who recall this is legislation that’s designed to create a source of funding for the Public Transportation Trust Fund. So we are super excited to see that this piece of legislation is getting a chance to be heard in committee this week.

A piece of legislation that we’re a bit concerned about this week is HB 376 which is introduced by Rep. Yarbough and this piece of legislation is an anti-immigration bill that essentially allows localities to enter into contracts with the federal government to become quasi agents of I.C.E. for a lack of better terms. And so proxies for I.C.E. and so this is a piece of legislation that we are fearful will cause a chilling effect on how included, how welcomed, how included yeah our neighbors feel here in the state of Alabama. And so we are hopeful that when that bill comes up in Public Safety and Homeland Security Committee at 9:00 a.m. on Wednesday that it will not make it out of committee.

The good thing about today’s update is that time is running out to pass harmful legislation and so even if that piece of legislation does make it out of committee we are hopeful that it will not make it throughout the process with there being only seven legislative days left in the process. Time is definitely running out. However, we are closely monitoring the final weeks of session and some bills that we do anticipate being deliberated on the full House floor this week include those workers rights bills that I referenced earlier.

So SB 231 for example, which is an anti-union bill that penalizes companies for voluntarily recognizing workers that decide to unionize, that piece of legislation is first on the special order calendar in the House tomorrow which means that when the House gets ready to deliberate legislation this will be the first piece of legislation that they deliberate. And this is a piece of legislation that we strongly oppose. Another piece of legislation related to workers rights that will be on the House floor tomorrow if the legislature makes it that far is SB 119 and this is a piece of legislation that would increase penalties for child labor violations. And so that is something that we are excited to see only has one more favorable vote needed before it will make its way to the governor’s desk. And so we are hopeful that that piece of legislation passes tomorrow and also hopeful that SB 231 fails.

And so that my friends is what is happening this week, that is what happened last week and we will be sure to keep you posted on things that continue to happen at the State House for as long as the legislature is in session. Take care.

Arise legislative update: April 15, 2024

By Matt Okarmus

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 of the proposals we expect to see in committees or on the House or Senate floor this week. To stay up to date on bills we are watching, visit alarise.org and click on “Take Action.”

Full transcript below:

Hi there. Akiesha Anderson here, policy and advocacy director for Alabama Arise, and I am excited to be here today to give you yet another legislative update. So we are in the final stretch of the legislative session.

So as of this week, when legislators go in for legislative session this week, they will begin the week on the 22nd legislative day. So that means that as of this recording, we officially have only nine days left — nine working days left in the legislative session. That is not nine calendar days. The Legislature, you know, could be in session into May. Most likely they will be. However, in terms of the number of days that they can be on the chamber floor voting bills out to the next chamber, there are only nine of those days left.

And so last week wasn’t extremely eventful. There was some conversation and deliberation about budgets. The General Fund did pass out of the Senate and should be making its way over to the House. However, the House did not pass the Education Trust Fund yet, and so we anticipate that that budget will be deliberated in the House and will pass out of the House hopefully this week and make its way over to the Senate.

However, a few other bills that we are watching in addition to the budgets do include bills related to child care, elections, immigration and more. So I’ll just go through a list of bills that I hope you can keep on your radar along with us this week.

On Tuesday at 12:30 p.m., [House] Ways and Means Education will be meeting, and one of the bills that is on the agenda for that day is HB 358. This is a bill introduced by Rep. Daniels, House minority leader, and this piece of legislation, if passed, would provide a child care– or would provide a tax credit for companies and nonprofits and other entities that provide child care for their workers. And so that is a piece of legislation that likely would help a lot of mothers, a lot of families, etc.

Also happening Tuesday afternoon at 1 p.m., the Senate County and Municipal Government Committee is meeting. They will be deliberating HB 86 among other bills. HB 86 was introduced by Rep. Pringle, and this bill essentially creates a process to where people can cure a ballot if their address has changed by the time they go to vote. And so that is a pretty straightforward bill, not something necessarily to be concerned about.

On the other hand, however, a piece of legislation that we are extremely concerned about will be heard at 9 a.m. in the Public Safety and Homeland Security Committee meeting in the House. And so HB 376 by Rep. Yarbrough is an immigration bill that basically, in a nutshell, allows local law enforcement to become proxies or arms for ICE — so to enforce immigration laws that local law enforcement currently cannot enforce. And so that is a piece of legislation that we are fearful could lead to targeting, racial profiling and other things and just making life a little bit more complicated and unpleasant for some of our neighbors and partners and friends.

Also happening on Wednesday at 9 a.m. is a Constitution, Campaigns and Elections Committee meeting. At this meeting, there will be a bill, HB 448, by Rep. Daniels. This piece of legislation essentially would address some of the claims that you may have seen in the news related to the Democratic convention happening this year, where essentially the Democratic convention takes place after the date at which a candidate must qualify to be on the Alabama ballot for the general election. Which means that President Biden could not make it onto the Alabama ballot unless we change the deadline. And so that piece of legislation is introduced as a way to change that deadline to where President Biden or whoever the Democratic nominee is for president still is able to make it onto our ballot in the state of Alabama because the deadline has not passed.

A few other pieces of legislation: In the Education Policy Committee, which will be happening Wednesday afternoon, there is SB 165 by Sen. Smitherman, as well as HB 188 by Rep. Collins. Both of these pieces of legislation are due process bills, which basically make it to where K-12 students in public schools cannot be expelled or suspended without having some sort of due process rights. And those two pieces of legislation we’re excited about seeing hopefully make it through the process before time runs out. But we’re really grateful for how far they have made it so far this session. And then lastly, House Judiciary Committee will be meeting on Wednesday, and two pieces of legislation that we will be monitoring there include HB 299 by Rep. England, which is in a nutshell a parole reform bill, but then also HB 27, also by Rep. England, which would require a unanimous jury before the death penalty can be enforced or ascribed to anybody. And that’s a piece of legislation that not only are we supportive of, but is one of our priorities, and so we definitely are hopeful that that piece of legislation makes it all the way to the end this session.

Again, we are hopefully wrapping up the legislative session soon — again, only nine legislative days left at the start of this week. And so by the end of this week, it is very possible that we will be down to only six legislative days left, just depending on how many work days they utilize this week. But either way, we will be sure to keep you posted on what is happening at the State House in these final days. Take care.

Summer EBT for 2025

By Alabama Arise

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 of color. The Summer EBT program has been shown to help alleviate this problem by reducing hunger and supporting healthier diets among children.

545,000 Alabama children will miss meals this summer.

Providing funding for Summer EBT would ensure that hundreds of thousands of Alabama children don’t have to go hungry next summer. In recent years, 94% of Alabama’s children who received free or reduced-price school meals during the school year did not have access to these meals over the summer.

Summer EBT could spur around $100 million in economic activity.

This program would require an initial appropriation of $15 million yet will deliver a substantially higher return on investment. This appropriation could come from either the Education Trust Fund or the General Fund. Also worth noting: The costs of operating this program would decrease in future years.

Call center* – $5 – 8 million
EBT cost* – $4 – 5 million
DHR expenses* – $500,000
Application administration** – $9.5 – 15.5 million (website design, interface, hearings, QC, notices)
Department of Education expenses* – $1 million

Total = maximum of $30 million
State share = 50% | maximum of $15 million

* Cost estimates are based on Alabama’s experience with similar characteristics of Summer P-EBT cost from 2020-2024
** Cost estimates are based on new criteria in Summer EBT rules and similar vendor cost provided from other states participating in 2024

Summer EBT key points:

  • Summer EBT (Electronic Benefits Transfer) provides eligible children $40 per summer month ($120 total).
  • 1 in 4 Alabama children are food insecure, with a disproportionate amount coming from households of color.
  • 94% of Alabama children who receive free or reduced-price meals do not have access to them over the summer.
  • Summer EBT is a $15 million state investment in child nutrition, with a $1 for $1 federal match, that could spur around $100 million in economic activity annually across Alabama.
  • The Summer EBT program could reduce hunger and support healthier diets for more than half a million (545,000) Alabama children.