Issue: Other Issues

Alabama Arise testimony in opposition to ending Public Service Commission elections

By Alabama Arise

Alabama Arise’s Robyn Hyden testified Tuesday before the House Transportation, Utilities and Infrastructure Committee in opposition to HB 392 by Rep. Chip Brown, R-Hollinger’s Island, which would change the Public Service Commission from an elected board to an appointed one. Here is the full text of Hyden’s prepared remarks:

Good morning. I am Robyn Hyden, the executive director of Alabama Arise, a nonprofit coalition of faith-based, civic and community groups and individuals across our state working to alleviate poverty. I’m here today on behalf of our 155 member organizations, 2,000 individual members, and people across our state who have reached out and expressed alarm about this proposal. 

Alabama Arise was founded in the late 1980s by a group of citizens concerned about utility rates and the lack of oversight of public utilities with monopoly power in our state. Over the years, we have supported efforts for more transparency and accountability around utility rates. This year, our members asked us to revisit what can be done about Alabama’s highest power rates in the U.S. South.

This bill is a major step backward in our efforts toward greater transparency and accountability. We know just how unpopular this bill is with the general public, and I’m not just speculating here. We have a recent example of our legislature seeking to transition a government board from an elected to an appointed body, and just how unpopular that was.

In 2019, the Alabama Legislature voted to support a constitutional amendment that would make the Alabama Board of Education an appointed, not an elected, body. When this issue went to the ballot for a vote of the people, it was defeated overwhelmingly, with more than 75% of voters choosing to retain their right to vote and not to delegate that power.

We reject the notion that “people do not know who represents them” on the Public Service Commission. The purpose of public elections is that elected commissioners are accountable to the voting public every four years and must answer for regulatory issues, including the rate-setting process, during those elections.

We also reject the notion that this bill will reduce “outside influence.” The fact is, utility companies will have an outsized influence on the process through the ability to give large contributions to state lawmakers who will be appointing their regulators.

We urge you to protect the people’s right to vote and to hold this commission accountable. Please vote no on HB 392.

What we know so far about bills affecting Alabama workers in 2026

By Adam Keller

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 a closer look at some of the major issues we’re tracking related to worker power, check out my colleague Dev Wakeley’s new fact sheet and be sure to share it around. And don’t forget to register for Alabama Arise Action’s Legislative Day on Feb. 24. Arise members and allies from across the state will gather at the State House in Montgomery that day to promote our agenda for a better Alabama for all. Space is limited, so please register by Feb. 12.

Icy weather may have slowed things down a bit in the early days of the legislative session, but we still have seen the introduction of numerous bills that are concerning for working folks. Some lawmakers are doubling down on a broken criminal justice system, attacks on food assistance and health coverage, and harmful proposals targeting our immigrant brothers and sisters. We are also seeing more proposed tax breaks for industry, even as our state continues to tax food and other necessities for families.

Bills of concern

We have seen multiple bills that would expand tax breaks for the poultry industry. Another industry-specific tax break proposal is HB 185 by Rep. Brock Colvin, R-Albertville. This bill would exempt certain general aviation aircraft and any machinery or equipment installed on these aircraft from ad valorem taxes. The fiscal note anticipates HB 185 would cost Alabama more than $11 million. For reference, it would only cost $14.3 million to provide no-cost school breakfast to every child in Alabama public schools.

The Alabama Rivers Alliance, Energy Alabama and other partners have been fighting HB 162 by Rep. Troy Stubbs, R-Wetumpka, and SB 71 by Sen. Donnie Chesteen, R-Geneva. These bills would weaken the state’s ability to implement the Clean Water Act and the Clean Air Act and protect workers and communities from toxic chemicals.

Another troubling proposal appears in HB 392 by Rep. Chip Brown, R-Mobile, and SB 268 by Sen. Bobby Singleton, D-Greensboro. These bills would transform the Public Service Commission from a board elected by the public to one appointed by the governor and Legislature. This proposal is raising concerns among numerous Arise member groups and allies, and the House bill will be up for a committee vote on Tuesday.

HB 169 by Rep. Jamie Kiel, R-Russellville, and SB 27 by Sen. Chris Elliott, R-Josephine, would restructure the Department of Archives’ board of trustees. This legislation has raised concerns among historians, academics and community members about potential impacts on the preservation and discussion of history related to movements for racial justice and workers’ rights, among other issues. SB 137 by Sen. Steve Livingston, R-Scottsboro, would establish a state Resilience Council to help prepare for and respond to disasters. If the bill becomes law, it is critical that working people be represented on this council.

Legislation to increase accountability for companies receiving tax incentives

The news isn’t all bad. Lawmakers also have filed many bills aimed at helping working folks.

Rep. Neil Rafferty, D-Birmingham, has filed two good bills related to worker power. The first is HB 346, which is the so-called clawback bill that you may have heard us talk about for the last couple years. This legislation would allow Alabama to claw back tax incentives from companies that violate child labor or human trafficking laws. Considering how few strings typically are attached to these incentive deals, this bill would be a critical step in the right direction. HB 346 is in the House State Government Committee.

Another good bill by Rafferty is HB 352, which is in the same committee. This bill would require any company receiving an economic tax incentive under the Alabama Jobs Act to guarantee numerous important worker protections. These companies would have to certify they do not require overtime or weekend work, do not practice shift rotation and do not require off-the-clock work. The companies also would have to confirm they guarantee a full work week, provide emergency leave and do not count the time an employee spends transitioning to or from a bathroom or breakroom to count toward the employee’s allotted break time.

Opportunities to improve workers’ rights and working conditions

Health equity and workers’ rights intersect with HB 290 by Rep. Juandalynn Givan, D-Birmingham. This bill would ensure employers are required to provide a location and break time for employees to express breast milk, building on important federal legislation passed a few years ago. HB 290 has received House committee approval and awaits a vote on the House floor.

Several other bills also caught my eye:

  • HB 14 by Rep. Marilyn Lands, D-Madison, would establish a process for citizen ballot initiatives, which have been an important avenue for advancing pro-worker policies in other states.
  • Public school employees may be interested in HB 62 by Rep. Ontario Tillman, D-Birmingham, which would allow for twice-a-month pay. (Public education workers are now paid monthly.)
  • Rep. Patrick Sellers, D-Pleasant Grove, is sponsoring HB 21, the Parental Right to Participate in Schools Act. This bill would permit employees who are parents or guardians to take time off work to attend their children’s school-related activities.

A chance to increase the minimum wage

Sen. Robert Stewart, D-Selma, has filed SB 171, alongside several Democratic co-sponsors. This bill would establish a state minimum wage, which Alabama does not have. SB 171 would set the minimum at $10 per hour starting on Jan. 1, 2027, with exemptions for businesses with 50 or fewer employees.

With no state minimum wage law, Alabama relies on the federal minimum wage, which has remained at $7.25 and $2.13 an hour for tipped employees since 2009. It’s been nearly 17 years since Congress raised the federal minimum wage. While many states and cities across the country have raised their minimum wages steadily since then, the only related action we’ve seen in Alabama was the Legislature preempting cities from raising it, in response to Birmingham’s efforts to increase the city’s minimum wage in 2016.

What you can do to help

I’m very grateful for my colleagues at Alabama Arise working on health equity, hunger relief, inclusive democracy, justice reform, tax reform and the budgets. You can follow our bills of interest to see exactly which bills Arise is monitoring and actively lobbying for or against. Make sure your membership is up to date so you can receive the full weekly legislative updates from our team, as well as timely action alerts on bills where we need your voice. You can join with a donation of any amount – or if you can’t afford to make a gift right now, you ask about joining for free through our gift membership program.

Be sure to stay in touch with your representative and senator. They hear from a lot of special interest groups, so it’s important they hear from everyday people as well. Please consider participating in Arise’s Legislative Day in Montgomery later this month. And if you can’t be there in person, please do what you can by contacting your lawmakers and educating your friends, neighbors and coworkers.

For more worker power updates, please note your interest here. Thank you for your support of Arise.

Solidarity forever,

Adam Keller

Worker Power Campaign director, Alabama Arise

P.S. Curious about how else Alabama lawmakers could increase worker power? Check out the Economic Policy Institute’s great resource on state solutions to protect workers!

Arise 2026: How we’re working to build a better Alabama

By Matt Okarmus

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 as the Alabama Legislature’s regular session begins January 13. This blog focuses on the crucial legislative priorities on our 2026 roadmap to change.

If you’re not already a member of Alabama Arise, join us! Members will receive an exclusive version of our weekly Legislative Updates throughout the session. These emails include a weekly video update from Arise staff members on what’s happening at the State House, as well as details about upcoming legislation and links to additional resources.

Executive Director Robyn Hyden welcomes us to the 2026 session

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. 

Strong investments in schools, housing and transit improve life for all Alabamians

Strong funding for public services like education and public health broadens opportunity for everyone, especially for Alabamians with low incomes. Arise members for decades have urged robust and secure state funding for these services. Our top adequate state budget priorities include protecting funding for public schools and securing state support for affordable housing and public transportation.

READ OUR FACT SHEET

Closing the health coverage gap: Alabama must enact policies to save lives

As Alabama enters the 2026 legislative session, Medicaid expansion and maternal health will be central to the state’s health equity conversations. Recent federal policy changes have made these conversations more urgent and more complex. Our top health equity priorities are Medicaid expansion and investments in comprehensive maternal health care.

READ OUR FACT SHEET

Federal SNAP cuts underscore Alabama’s need to protect and increase food access

Alabama’s food insecurity rates are among the worst in the country. More than 1 in 6 people in our state (17%) face food insecurity, according to the Alabama Department of Public Health. And that share is even larger for children: Nearly 1 in 4 Alabama children (23%) live in households with food insecurity. Our top hunger relief priorities are increasing the availability of no-cost school meals, protecting SNAP food assistance and continuing the successful SUN Bucks summer nutrition program.

READ OUR FACT SHEET

An inclusive democracy is vital to building a better Alabama for all

Alabama was central to the struggle for democracy and voting rights in the United States during the Civil Rights Movement in the 1950s and 1960s. And the need for our state to do more to build a more inclusive democracy continues today. That is especially true after recent U.S. Supreme Court decisions affecting the rights of people nationwide to have their say in who represents them at the local, state and federal levels. Our top inclusive democracy priorities include no-excuse absentee voting, early voting and removal of barriers to voting rights restoration.

READ OUR FACT SHEET

Alabama’s justice system should focus on rehabilitation, not cruelty

Alabama’s criminal justice system too often prioritizes punishment over evidence-based interventions. This cruel orientation has fueled heavy-handed sentencing policies and a broken parole system. And it has led to a death penalty system where state officials continue to kill prisoners against the recommendation of the juries that convicted them. Our justice reform priorities include reforms to Alabama’s sentencing and parole practices and legislation to make the state’s ban on judicial override in death penalty cases retroactive. 

READ OUR FACT SHEET

Alabama’s tax system is upside down and needs real reform

Alabama’s tax structure is among the nation’s most unfair and unjust. The state is heavily reliant on regressive sales taxes on consumer goods that account for a larger share of spending for households with low incomes. Our state continues to tax groceries, though at a lower rate than other goods after grocery tax reductions in 2023 and 2025. And Alabama does not tax numerous services that people with higher incomes more often purchase. Our tax reform priorities include untaxing groceries, reining in income tax breaks for wealthy households and opposing further diversion of public school funding to private schools and homeschooling.

READ OUR FACT SHEET

Empower workers to build an economy that works for all Alabamians

Alabama has a history of anti-worker policies that prioritize the interests of wealthy corporations over those of working people. This top-down structure has led to our state falling behind in measurable standards of well-being. Our worker power priorities include increased accountability for child labor law violators, expansion of paid leave and stronger protections for temp workers.

READ OUR FACT SHEET

Empower workers to build an economy that works for all Alabamians

By Alabama Arise

By Dev Wakeley, worker policy advocate (dev@alarise.org), and Adam Keller, Worker Power Campaign director (adam@alarise.org)

Alabama has a history of anti-worker policies that prioritize the interests of wealthy corporations over those of working people. This top-down structure has led to our state falling behind in measurable standards of well-being.

Alabamians have shorter lifespans, worse health and lower pay than people in other states. These disparities are bad for all Alabamians, and they are significantly worse for women and Black and Hispanic people.

To move Alabama toward an economic structure that values worker well-being and uplifts workers’ voices in their workplaces, Alabama Arise is working to advance policies to improve working conditions and stop common types of worker abuse. These policies include:

  • Remove tax incentives from bad-actor companies that break the law and violate workers’ rights. Our state hands out corporate tax breaks that often lack key accountability mechanisms to ensure companies are creating good jobs with this public money. This amount can reach into the hundreds of millions for individual companies, including some money that ends up benefiting companies that violate child labor laws. Arise will support a bill to remove tax incentives from companies that benefit from illegal – and often physically dangerous – employment of children, and to deny them eligibility for future incentives.
  • Expand paid leave to cover more workers and apply to more needs. Lawmakers last year implemented paid parental leave for state workers, K-12 teachers and staff, and two-year college workers. Arise will seek to keep momentum going to expand paid family leave to cover more workers across Alabama and to apply to additional caregiving needs.
  • Create protections for temp workers. Temp workers are routinely subject to greater abuses than the working population generally. This tiered system pays temp workers poorly, undermines worker solidarity and mires them in insecurity. Arise will support policies to improve conditions for temp workers and boost pathways for them to transition into more permanent roles.

Working Alabamians are the heart of our economy. Improving working conditions and empowering workers will build a better, more vibrant future for everyone.

Building on our momentum for the new year

By David Stout

As we close out 2025, Arise members and member organizations can reflect on a very successful year. Reducing the state sales tax on groceries from 3% to 2% and guaranteeing more students in public schools get a free breakfast with a $7.3 million budget appropriation were two of the biggest highlights worth celebrating. 

Improvements were also made in maternal health, including tax cuts passed for maternal and infant care products as well as those that fell under the “pink tax” such as diapers, baby formula and feminine hygiene products. Expecting mothers became eligible for Medicaid during the early days of their pregnancy, creating an increased opportunity for healthy pregnancies and babies. For the first time, a progressive model for parental leave for education employees and state workers became law. 

Arise aggressively fought to ensure SNAP benefits remained intact among federal changes. These successes come from the dedicated and engaged members who have remained steadfast in Arise’s mission to make Alabama more responsive to its citizens.

The 2026 legislative session, the last session of the quadrennium before lawmakers will face the public at the voting booth, is gearing up to be another busy time for Arise. Below is our roadmap for how we will prepare for the challenges ahead.

Health equity

Arise will continue our commitment to expand Medicaid and ensure health care for more Alabamians. With the growing lack of access to maternal health care, we will also continue the fight to protect and improve access for life-saving maternal care and contraception. In the realm of improving our current Medicaid coverage, Alabama is ranked 49th for dental care. We will work to expand access to adult dental benefits for Medicaid members.

Hunger relief

While 2025 saw a significant step forward in no-cost school meals, almost 30 percent of students still lack access to school breakfast or lunch. Arise will work to protect and expand funding for school meals as well as the Summer EBT program (now SUN Bucks) for low-income students. Arise will also be a voice of reason to block ill-intended limitations on the purchase of certain items under SNAP guidelines.

Adequate state budgets

With the constant waste of lucrative tax incentives going to big corporations, we must remain vigilant to protect our budgets from excessive giveaways, ill-conceived tax exemptions and tax credits. The biggest threat to the Education Trust Fund is the relatively new tax credit for private school students from the CHOOSE Act that allows up to $7,000 per student, a drain on public school resources. 

If income caps are removed, more than $500 million in school tax dollars could go to previously enrolled private school students. In 2026, Arise will continue to oppose any expansion of the CHOOSE Act.

Alabama does not currently provide any state funds for the Housing Trust Fund to support more affordable housing for low-income, elderly, and disabled citizens. Equally insufficient is the state’s failure  to fund the Public Transportation Trust Fund, which could secure up to an 80% percent match in federal funds. Arise will continue to fight to fund the Alabama Housing Trust Fund and the Public Transportation Trust Fund.

Inclusive democracy

The constant effort to suppress voting in Alabama demands we expand voting rights with comprehensive legislation, including allowing people to cast an absentee ballot without unnecessary, trivial restrictions. We will work to remove barriers for people who have been banned from voting because of a criminal conviction. We will also continue to oppose laws attacking the inclusion of immigrants, Black Alabamians and other racial and ethnic minorities in our society. 

Justice reform

In 2018, Arise worked to eliminate judicial override, a policy that allowed judges to impose a death sentence against the will of the jury. Unfortunately, the law was not retroactive. With nearly 30 people still on death row because of this outdated and now illegal policy, it’s time to make judicial override retroactive and seek justice for those condemned.

We must also work to reform Alabama’s three-strikes law, which disproportionately impacts low-income defendants. Under this law, a person could be serving a life sentence because of a series of minor infractions. Adding to the burden of prison overcrowding, Alabama’s parole system has been plagued by unworkable guidelines, driving our prison overcrowding crisis and making our system more punitive, not restorative. It’s time to make the parole system more fair, transparent and efficient.

Tax reform

Faced with tariffs and increasing food costs, there’s never been a better time to fully eliminate Alabama’s tax on groceries. A larger share of the burden falls on those with lower incomes, who spend more of their income on food than the wealthy. Arise supports a more progressive and fair income tax that recognizes the inequities in our tax rates.          

Worker power

The newest priority on our 2026 legislative agenda is supporting worker power legislation in partnership with organized labor. Our primary goal will be to remove tax incentives from companies that employ child labor and violate workers’ rights. We will also work to expand paid parental leave policies to cover more state employees, teachers and other workers. Often, the person most abused is the temporary worker, who has no rights. Arise will work to pass workplace protections in a Temp Workers’ Bill of Rights to improve on-the-job conditions, along with a pathway for full-time jobs.

Las prioridades legislativas de Alabama Arise para 2026

By Alabama Arise

Más de 150 grupos miembros de Alabama Arise y más de 1,500 miembros individuales eligen todos los años nuestras prioridades legislativas. Este proceso garantiza que los habitantes de Alabama más afectados por la pobreza participen de las decisiones. A continuación se enumeran las prioridades que nuestros miembros eligieron para 2025.

Para obtener una versión de este documento en PDF, haga clic aquí o en el botón de “Descargar” (Download) arriba.

Equidad en salud – Alabama debe salvar vidas, crear trabajo y proteger la salud rural cerrando la brecha de cobertura de Medicaid y mejorando el acceso a atención de maternidad de alta calidad.

Alivio del hambre – Alabama debe ayudar a las familias a prosperar al asegurar que todas las escuelas públicas puedan ofrecer comidas gratuitas para todos sus estudiantes y al proteger programas de nutrición vitales.

Presupuestos estatales adecuados – Los servicios públicos robustos amplían las oportunidades para todos. Alabama debe proteger la financiación para las escuelas públicas e invertir en vivienda asequible y transporte público.

Democracia inclusiva – Todos merecen tener su opinión en nuestra democracia. Alabama debe permitir el voto en ausencia sin excusas y eliminar barreras para la restauración de los derechos de voto para personas que no están involucradas.

Reforma de justicia – El sistema de justicia de Alabama debe enfocarse en rehabilitación, no en crueldad. Nuestro estado debe dejar de ejecutar a personas sentenciadas a muerte contra la recomendación de un jurado. Alabama también debe reformar la libertad condicional y las sentencias.

Reforma impositiva – Un sistema impositivo más equitativo puede ayudar a las personas en dificultades a llegar a fin de mes. Alabama debe quitar los impuestos a artículos básicos y asegurar financiamiento justo y sostenible para servicios vitales.

Poder trabajador – Alabama debe apoyar a la gente trabajadora quitando incentivos de impuestos a las empresas que violan las leyes de empleo de menores, extendiendo la licencia por paternidad/maternidad a más trabajadores y mejorando las salvaguardias para trabajadores temporarios.

Alabama Arise 2026 legislative priorities

By Alabama Arise

More than 150 Alabama Arise member groups and nearly 2,000 individual members choose our legislative priorities each year. This process ensures that Alabamians most impacted by poverty have a seat at the table. Below are the priorities that our members selected for 2026.

For a PDF version of this document, click here or click the “Download” button above.

Health equity –Alabama should save lives, create jobs and protect rural health care by closing the Medicaid coverage gap and improving access to high-quality maternity care.

Hunger relief – Alabama should help families thrive by ensuring all public schools can offer free school meals for all of their students and by protecting vital nutrition programs.

Adequate state budgets – Strong public services broaden opportunity for all. Alabama should protect funding for public schools and invest in affordable housing and public transportation.

Inclusive democracy – Everyone deserves a say in our democracy. Alabama should allow no-excuse absentee voting and lift barriers to voting rights restoration for disenfranchised people.

Justice reform – Alabama’s justice system should focus on rehabilitation, not cruelty. Our state should stop executing people sentenced to death against a jury’s recommendation. Alabama also needs to reform parole and sentencing.

Tax reform – A more equitable tax system can help struggling people make ends meet. Alabama should untax groceries and ensure fair, sustainable funding for vital services.

Worker power – Alabama should support working people by removing tax incentives from companies that violate child labor laws, extending paid parental leave to more workers and improving safeguards for temp workers.

Alabama coalition to lawmakers: Keep TVA public, affordable and accountable

By Whitney Washington

State and federal lawmakers should oppose any efforts to privatize the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA), a broad coalition of 43 Alabama organizations wrote in a joint letter released Tuesday. The groups warned that privatization would raise energy costs, eliminate good jobs, weaken environmental protections and strip the public of its voice in decisions about the region’s energy future.

“TVA has been one of the most transformative public investments in our state’s history,” the letter reads. “Privatization would put that at risk, leading to higher energy bills, fewer protections for consumers, loss of good union jobs and more pressure to cut corners on safety and environmental stewardship.”

Two utility workers smile while wearing orange helmets and orange and yellow vests. Text above the photo: "Alabama Arise news release: Alabama coalition to lawmakers: Keep TVA public, affordable and accountable."

More than 40 organizations signed the letter, including labor unions, civic organizations, faith groups and nonprofits across Alabama. Read the full letter here.

“At Alabama Arise, we believe in public systems that are transparent, accountable and responsive to everyday people,” said Adam Keller, Alabama Arise’s Worker Power Campaign director. “Public power through TVA has kept energy reliable, affordable and accountable to Alabamians for generations, reducing poverty and expanding opportunity across the region. The public deserves a voice in decisions about our energy and environment, and we stand united in opposing any threats to this vital lifeline for our communities.”

Background

Created in 1933 as part of the New Deal, the Tennessee Valley Authority is the nation’s largest public power provider, serving nearly 10 million people across seven states. TVA’s mission extends beyond electricity: It also supports economic development, environmental stewardship and disaster response.

“TVA was originally created because the private sector failed rural America,” said Daniel Tait, executive director of Energy Alabama. “Turning TVA over to private, for-profit interests would mean higher electricity rates, destruction and loss of access to outdoor recreation areas, and other devastating consequences for families and businesses across the Tennessee Valley.”

TVA privatization proposals have surfaced repeatedly in Washington. Alabama stakeholders warn the costs would fall hardest on working families and vulnerable communities.

The broad array of groups opposing privatization “reflects the diverse voices of workers, community members, faith groups and environmental advocates across the state,” the joint letter reads. “While we come from different sectors and perspectives, we are united in calling for action to protect our communities.”

Next steps

The coalition is calling on Alabama’s congressional delegation and state elected leaders to issue clear, public statements opposing TVA privatization. The groups say they will continue organizing to ensure TVA remains publicly owned and accountable to the people of Alabama.

“TVA’s union workforce is the backbone of our energy system, providing safe, skilled jobs that support families and communities,” said Ray Dawson, business manager of Laborers’ International Union of North America (LiUNA) Local 366. “Privatization would wreck those jobs and the local economies they sustain.”

Read the groups’ full letter here.

Alabama Arise, 42 partner groups ask lawmakers to stand strong against TVA privatization

By Alabama Arise

Proposals to privatize the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) have surfaced repeatedly in recent years. Alabama Arise joined 42 partner groups in a letter urging Alabama’s congressional delegation and state elected officials to speak out in opposition to efforts to privatize TVA and to keep energy reliable, affordable and accountable to Alabamians. The full text of the letter is below.

Letter text

Dear Elected Leaders,

We, the undersigned organizations, stand united in strong opposition to any efforts to privatize the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA). As Alabamians, we know firsthand that TVA has been one of the most transformative public investments in our state’s history: powering our homes and businesses, creating good-paying union jobs and protecting the natural resources that make our region special.

For more than 90 years, TVA has provided reliable, affordable electricity to communities across the Tennessee Valley while reinvesting in local economies. Its public, nonprofit structure keeps decision-making more accountable to the people it serves, not to distant investors. Privatization would put that at risk, leading to higher energy bills, fewer protections for consumers, loss of good union jobs and more pressure to cut corners on safety and environmental stewardship.

TVA is more than a power provider. It is a cornerstone of our economy and quality of life. Its skilled, unionized workforce sustains families and communities across Alabama. Its low rates and dependable service help small businesses grow and attract new industry. Its stewardship of our rivers, lands and recreational areas protects our health and supports our way of life. These are benefits worth protecting, regardless of political affiliation or background.

Our coalition reflects the diverse voices of workers, community members, faith groups and environmental advocates across the state. While we come from different sectors and perspectives, we are united in calling for action to protect our communities.

We urge you, as Alabama’s elected leaders, to speak out clearly and unequivocally against any proposal to privatize TVA in whole or in part. The people of Alabama deserve to keep this vital public asset in public hands, where it can continue to serve the public good for generations to come.

We stand ready to work together to protect the Tennessee Valley Authority – for our workers, our customers, our environment and our shared future.

Signatories

Sincerely,

  1. Alabama Arise
  2. Alabama Building Trades
  3. Alabama Coalition for Immigrant Justice
  4. Alabama Forward
  5. Alabama Poor People’s Campaign
  6. Bay Area Women’s Coalition, Inc.
  7. Central Alabama Labor Federation
  8. Community Enabler
  9. CWA Local 3905
  10. CWA Local 3908
  11. District Eight Organizing Committee, LiUNA
  12. Energy Alabama
  13. Faith in Action Alabama
  14. First Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) of Montgomery
  15. Flint River Conservation Association 
  16. Greater Birmingham Ministries
  17. Huntsville Environmental Coalition
  18. Interfaith Mission Service
  19. International Chemical Workers Union Council of the UFCW
  20. International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers (IFPTE)
  21. Ironworkers Local 477
  22. Jobs to Move America
  23. Laborers Local 366
  24. National Association of Letter Carriers, Branch 462
  25. North Alabama Area Labor Council, AFL-CIO
  26. North Alabama Democratic Socialists of America
  27. North Alabama Peace Network
  28. Open Table United Church of Christ 
  29. Project Hope to Abolish the Death Penalty
  30. Sand Mountain Cooperative Education Center
  31. Somos Alabama
  32. Southern Poverty Law Center
  33. Southern Rural Black Women’s Initiative/BAMA Kids, Inc.
  34. SWEET Alabama
  35. Tennessee Building and Construction Trades Council
  36. The Board of the Unitarian Universalist Church of Huntsville
  37. The Sisters 
  38. Thrive Alabama
  39. Together for Hope
  40. United Campus Workers – Alabama (CWA Local 3821)
  41. United for a Fair Economy
  42. United Steelworkers Local 9-265
  43. United Women of Color

After a successful 2025 session, Alabama Arise looks toward the future

By Chris Sanders
Three men wearing suits and ties and a woman wearing a pink dress stand to either side of Gov. Kay Ivey, who is wearing a black jacket and seated behind a wooden table.
Several Alabama Arise staff members participated in Gov. Kay Ivey’s bill signing ceremony for HB 386 on July 31, 2025, at the State Capitol in Montgomery. HB 386 will reduce the state sales tax on groceries from 3% to 2% starting Sept. 1, 2025. Left to right: Arise legislative director David Stout; Sen. Andrew Jones, R-Centre; Gov. Kay Ivey; Arise hunger policy advocate LaTrell Clifford Wood and Arise communications director Chris Sanders. (Photo by Matt Okarmus)

Building a better Alabama for all is not the work of a single year or decade or even lifetime. It’s work that spans generations. Each of us should do our best to build upon the foundation laid by those who came before us, and to equip those who will come after us to reach even greater heights.

As we continue on the path to a brighter future, it’s important to celebrate milestone achievements along the way. Three bill signing ceremonies with Gov. Kay Ivey this summer were opportunities for Alabama Arise to rejoice over several hard-won legislative victories in 2025.

Arise staff members participated in a ceremony on June 12 for the “pink tax” law, which removed the state sales tax from baby formula, diapers, maternity clothing and other items for infants and parents. We also participated in two more ceremonies on July 31: one for a law reducing the state grocery tax from 3% to 2%, and another for the RAISE Act, which made important reforms to Alabama’s education funding formula.

How we will build on this success

These breakthroughs were just a few of the many policy victories we enjoyed this year. All of them resulted from years of determined advocacy by Arise members and supporters.

With an eye toward the long term, Arise will ask members this month to approve a list of legislative priorities for 2026-29. Members then will vote on which issue areas are most important to them and have the option to rank legislative proposals under each issue.

This multiyear commitment will allow Arise to focus more deeply on the issues that our members have chosen consistently in recent years. And it will empower us to continue working effectively to advance dignity, equity and justice for every Alabamian.