Category: News Releases

Alabama Arise unveils 2025 roadmap for change in Alabama

By Chris Sanders

Expanding Medicaid and ending the state sales tax on groceries will remain top goals on Alabama Arise’s 2025 legislative agenda. The organization also will advocate for state funds to help public schools provide free breakfast to every student.

More than 450 members voted in the last week to affirm Arise’s legislative priorities. The seven priorities chosen were:

  • Adequate budgets for human services, including expanding Medicaid to make health coverage affordable for all Alabamians, supporting universal free breakfast in public schools and ensuring equitable public education funding for all students.
  • Tax reform to build a more just and sustainable revenue system, including eliminating the rest of Alabama’s state sales tax on groceries and replacing the revenue equitably.
  • Voting rights, including no-excuse early voting, removal of barriers to voting rights restoration for disenfranchised Alabamians, and other policies to protect and expand multiracial democracy.
  • Criminal justice reform, including legislation to improve Alabama’s parole system and efforts to reduce overreliance on exorbitant fines and fees as a revenue source.
  • Maternal and infant health investments to advance the health and safety of Alabama families, including legislation to ensure paid parental leave for state employees and teachers.
  • Public transportation to empower Alabamians with low incomes to stay connected to work, school, health care and their communities.
  • Death penalty reform, including a law to apply Alabama’s ban on judicial overrides of jury sentencing verdicts retroactively to people sentenced to death row under this now-illegal policy.

“Alabama Arise believes in dignity, equity and justice for everyone,” Alabama Arise executive director Robyn Hyden said. “Our 2025 legislative priorities would empower Alabamians of every race, income and background to reach their full potential. And they reflect our members’ commitment to building a healthier, more just and more inclusive Alabama for all.”

Graphic listing Alabama Arise's 2025 legislative priorities: Arise's roadmap to a better Alabama. The priorities are untaxing groceries, Medicaid expansion, voting rights, criminal justice reform, maternal and infant health, public transportation and death penalty reform.

Alabama urgently needs to close the health coverage gap

An essential step toward a healthier future for Alabama is to ensure everyone can afford the health care they need. Arise members believe Medicaid expansion is a policy path to that destination, and research provides strong support for that position.

Expanding Medicaid to cover adults with low incomes would reduce racial health disparities and remove financial barriers to health care for nearly 200,000 Alabamians. It would support thousands of new jobs across the state. And most importantly, it would save hundreds of lives every year.

The need to close Alabama’s coverage gap is growing by the day. Thomasville Regional Medical Center in Clarke County last month became the state’s most recent rural hospital to close. About two dozen other rural hospitals in Alabama are at immediate risk of closure, and four labor and delivery units have shut down in the last year. These closures have reduced care options in a state that already has one of the nation’s worst maternal mortality rates.

Alabama is one of only 10 states yet to expand Medicaid. Medicaid expansion would ensure health coverage for nearly 200,000 Alabamians caught in a coverage gap. Most of these residents earn too much to qualify for the state’s bare-bones Medicaid program but too little to afford private plans.

“Medicaid expansion would boost our economy, protect rural hospitals and improve life for people across Alabama,” Hyden said. “Closing the coverage gap also would improve access to mental health treatment and life-saving health care for mothers and babies. Our policymakers need to step up and to make this life-saving and job-creating investment in the people of our state.”

Universal school breakfast would help Alabama children learn and thrive

Another key step toward a healthier Alabama is to ensure every public school can offer free breakfast to every student. Hundreds of Alabama schools are providing free meals to all of their students through the Community Eligibility Provision, but some schools cannot participate in the program.

Arise will advocate for a state appropriation that local districts can use to match federal funds to offer free breakfasts. This funding would position Alabama to build on the success of Summer EBT, which will provide $40 in food benefits per summer month for more than 500,000 children starting in 2025. Legislators approved the necessary administrative funding for Summer EBT this year after determined advocacy by Arise members and partners.

Children and communities across Alabama would enjoy both immediate and long-term benefits from universal free breakfast in public schools. Universal school breakfast would reduce child hunger in a state where nearly 1 in 4 children face food insecurity. Extending the reach of school breakfast programs would help reduce behavioral problems and improve attendance and test scores. Reducing food insecurity for children also can help improve their mental health and overall health as teenagers and adults.

“It’s hard for children to focus in school when they’re hungry,” Hyden said. “Lawmakers can help ensure that every student across Alabama can start the day with a good meal and be ready to succeed both in the classroom and throughout their lives.”

Finish the job: Alabama needs to remove the rest of the state grocery tax

Arise members also renewed their decades-long commitment to another policy to reduce hunger: ending Alabama’s state grocery tax. That advocacy got results last year when legislators reduced the state sales tax on groceries by half. The law reduced the tax from 4 cents to 3 cents in 2023, but another 1-cent reduction did not happen this year because education revenues grew by less than 3.5%. That reduction will occur in the next year when revenues increase by that amount.

Ending the state grocery tax remains a core Arise priority because the tax makes it harder for people with low incomes to make ends meet. The tax adds hundreds of dollars a year to the cost of a basic necessity for families. And most states have abandoned it: Alabama is one of only 12 states that still tax groceries.

Lawmakers have options to remove the other half of the state grocery tax while protecting funding for public schools. Arise will continue to support legislation to untax groceries and replace the revenue by capping or eliminating the state income tax deduction for federal income taxes. This deduction is a tax break that overwhelmingly benefits the richest households. Arise also will support efforts to give local governments increased flexibility to decrease local grocery taxes if they determine it is feasible.

“Reducing the state grocery tax was an important step toward repairing Alabama’s upside-down tax system,” Hyden said. “By untaxing groceries and limiting the federal income tax deduction, legislators can help families keep food on the table while protecting funding for our children’s public schools. Alabama lawmakers should embrace this path to end the state grocery tax forever.”

Alabama Arise, Alabama Values launch Think Big Alabama advocacy training program

By Chris Sanders

Alabama Arise and Alabama Values announce the launch of Think Big Alabama: Empowering Voices for Change, a four-part advocacy training program aimed at empowering underserved and underrepresented communities in Alabama. The program, running from July 13 to Aug. 24, will equip 20 participants with essential skills in media, public policy and grassroots organizing. BIPOC Alabamians are encouraged to apply.

Alabamians interested in participating can apply here by June 28.

The Think Big Alabama program is designed to align with the missions of Alabama Arise and Alabama Values, focusing on empowering communities by providing the knowledge, skills and tools necessary to address pressing issues impacting their lives. This program will transform research findings from the Think Big learning community into actionable steps for advocacy and change.

“Through this collaboration, we are demystifying the legislative process and providing essential advocacy skills to people who want to improve their communities’ well-being and make Alabama a better, more inclusive place for everyone,” said Presdelane Harris, organizing director of Alabama Arise. “Our goal is to engage Alabamians to become active participants in shaping the policies that affect their lives.”

Alabama Arise is a statewide, member-led organization advancing public policies to improve the lives of Alabamians marginalized by poverty. The organization’s dedication to policy advocacy and community engagement makes it a key partner in this transformative program.

Blue text on a light green background: "Alabama Arise news release. Alabama Arise, Alabama Values launch Think Big Alabama advocacy training program." Below the text is a picture of a racially diverse group of five people sitting in a semicircle having a conversation.

Participants will engage in both in-person and virtual sessions, immersing themselves in a comprehensive curriculum that covers narrative building, grassroots organizing, policy advocacy and media strategies. The program will begin with foundational insights into the intersection of media, policy and grassroots organizing, fostering an environment of collaboration and community engagement.

‘More than a training program’

Alabama Values will bring to the program its expertise in narrative and messaging for social change, helping participants craft compelling stories that resonate and drive action. Alabama Arise will contribute its deep knowledge of policy advocacy and grassroots organizing, providing participants with practical tools and strategies to navigate the legislative landscape and advocate for meaningful policy changes. Together, these organizations will create a dynamic and supportive learning environment where participants can thrive and become powerful advocates for their communities.

Sessions will cover place-based storytelling, crafting compelling narratives and utilizing media platforms for advocacy. Participants also will learn effective grassroots organizing strategies and helpful policy narratives, with practical skills and strategies provided by Alabama Arise. The program will conclude with participants finalizing individual or group action plans to address specific state or local issues, equipping them with long-term engagement strategies for ongoing community involvement and impact.

“Think Big Alabama is more than a training program; it’s a movement to empower marginalized communities and amplify their voices in public policy debates,” said Anneshia Hardy, executive director of Alabama Values. “By equipping participants with the necessary tools and knowledge, we aim to create a lasting impact on the state and community levels.”

Alabama Values is dedicated to using narrative and messaging for social change, aiming to amplify the voices and values of Alabama’s growing pro-democracy movement. This initiative is a testament to the organization’s commitment to building ideological power and fostering a more inclusive and equitable society.

“The Think Big Alliance is thrilled to support this exciting initiative,” said Elaine Mejia, executive director of the Think Big Alliance. “Working together across issues to create and deploy transformational narratives is how we plant the seeds for the big wins that will make the most difference in people’s lives.”

Community members can register to participate in this impactful learning experience. Participants’ meals and travel costs will be covered.

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.”

230+ Alabama Arise supporters urge lawmakers to close state’s Medicaid coverage gap

By Chris Sanders
A crowd of hundreds of smiling people gathered behind and to both sides of a lectern inside a committee room in the Alabama State House.
More than 230 Alabamians gathered to show their support for Medicaid expansion during Arise Legislative Day on April 2, 2024, in Montgomery. (Photo by Julie Bennett)

Alabama should save lives, create jobs and boost workforce participation by closing the state’s Medicaid coverage gap, Alabama Arise members told lawmakers Tuesday.

More than 230 Arise supporters from across Alabama gathered Tuesday at the State House in Montgomery to urge Gov. Kay Ivey and legislators to make this investment in a healthier Alabama. Expanding Medicaid to cover adults with low incomes would ensure health coverage for nearly 300,000 Alabamians who are uninsured or struggling to afford coverage.

Representatives from March of Dimes Alabama, the Alabama Rural Health Association and Arise’s Cover Alabama campaign joined Arise members to make the case for closing the health coverage gap. Alabama Arise board president Clyde Jones spoke passionately about the benefits of Medicaid expansion.

“We believe that everyone in our state should be able to get medical care they need to be able to survive and thrive. We’re here today to tell our lawmakers that it’s time to close Alabama’s Medicaid coverage gap once and for all,” Jones said.

“This is an investment in Alabama’s future. It would create thousands of jobs and generate billions of dollars of economic activity. It would help rural hospitals stay open to serve everyone in their communities. And the most important thing it would do: It would save lives.”

A bearded Black man wearing a black suit jacket, white dress shirt and yellow tie speaks behind a lectern. Alabama Arise supporters stand behind and to either side of him.
Alabama Arise board president Clyde Jones emphasizes the health and economic benefits of Medicaid expansion during Arise Legislative Day on April 2, 2024, in Montgomery. (Photo by Julie Bennett)

The news conference was part of Arise’s annual Legislative Day. Photos from the event are available here. A video of the news conference is available here.

Closing the coverage gap is vital for rural Alabama

Alabama is one of only 10 states yet to expand Medicaid to cover adults with low incomes. And the state’s Medicaid eligibility limit is one of the nation’s lowest. A parent in a three-person household who earns just $5,000 a year makes too much to qualify for Alabama Medicaid.

Closing this coverage gap would strengthen workforce participation and boost local economies across Alabama, studies show. It also would help the state’s rural hospitals remain open to serve everyone in their communities, Alabama Rural Health Association president Farrell Turner said Tuesday.

“When a hospital shuts down, it’s not just health care that’s lost. It’s other health services such as pharmacies and lost jobs. It’s access to essential services, and it’s a blow to the very fabric of our communities,” Turner said. “By closing the coverage gap, we can reduce the burden of unpaid costs on health care providers and reinforce their ability to serve our communities.”

A white man with glasses, white hair and a white mustache stands behind a lectern. He is wearing a black suit jacket, a white dress shirt and a red tie. Alabama Arise supporters stand behind and to either side of him.
Farrell Turner, president of the Alabama Rural Health Association, urges Medicaid expansion to prevent rural hospital closures during Arise Legislative Day on April 2, 2024, in Montgomery. (Photo by Julie Bennett)

Nineteen of Alabama’s 52 rural hospitals are at immediate risk of closure, according to the Center for Healthcare Quality and Payment Reform. The harmful fallout from those closures would extend far beyond the hospital walls, Turner said.

Hospital closures erode a community’s quality of life and limit its prospects for economic growth, Turner said. He urged lawmakers to act quickly to save people across Alabama from facing that fate.

“We cannot afford to wait until it’s too late. Every day that passes without action puts more hospitals at risk and threatens the health and well-being of rural Alabamians,” Turner said. “Our hospitals, health centers and rural health clinics are at risk. Our communities are in crisis, and the time for action is now. Together, let’s work to close the coverage gap and secure a healthier future for rural Alabama.”

Continuous coverage would save lives of parents and infants

Medicaid expansion also would improve health for parents and children across the state. This is a vital need for Alabama, which has the nation’s worst maternal death rate.

Honour Hill, director of March of Dimes’ maternal and infant health initiatives in Alabama, said Tuesday that closing the coverage gap for all adults with low incomes is an essential step to save lives.

“The health of mom and baby are intrinsically intertwined, and addressing chronic conditions before a woman becomes pregnant is critical,” Hill said. “In Alabama, women of childbearing age need coverage before and between pregnancies, in addition to prenatal and postpartum coverage.”

A white woman with blonde hair wearing a white suit jacket and a black blouse speaks behind a lectern. Alabama Arise supporters stand behind and to either side of her.
Honour Hill, director of March of Dimes’ maternal and infant health initiatives in Alabama, highlights the life-saving benefits of Medicaid expansion during Arise Legislative Day on April 2, 2024, in Montgomery. (Photo by Joscie Cutchens)

Lawmakers in 2022 sought to reduce Alabama’s maternal death rate by extending postpartum Medicaid coverage to a full year after childbirth, up from the previous 60 days. Policymakers should build on that progress by ensuring Alabamians with low incomes can continue to receive care without an interruption due to loss of health coverage, Hill said.

“Lack of care before pregnancy can lead to poor pregnancy outcomes,” she said. “Our state is paying much more money to address women’s health issues during or between pregnancies than it would be if lawmakers enacted a policy to close the coverage gap.”

An investment in greater workforce participation

For hundreds of thousands of Alabamians, the health coverage gap is not an abstraction but a reality of everyday life. Alabama Arise’s Cover Alabama campaign director Debbie Smith spoke Tuesday about the difficult decisions that many families must make because Alabama’s refusal to expand Medicaid has left them with no option for affordable health insurance.

“People are facing unimaginable challenges because they lack access to health care,” Smith said. “Families are forced to make impossible choices between putting food on the table and seeking medical treatment. Individuals are delaying necessary care until it’s too late, all because they can’t afford it.”

Cover Alabama is a nonpartisan alliance of more than 130 advocacy groups, businesses, community organizations, consumer groups, health care providers and religious congregations advocating for Alabama to provide quality, affordable health coverage to its residents and implement a sustainable health care system.

A smiling white woman with blonde hair wearing a light red blouse speaks behind a lectern. Alabama Arise supporters stand behind and to either side of her.
Debbie Smith, Alabama Arise’s Cover Alabama campaign director, discusses the growing momentum for Medicaid expansion in Southern states during Arise Legislative Day on April 2, 2024, in Montgomery. (Photo by Julie Bennett)

Smith highlighted how closing the health coverage gap would allow more people to seek and keep employment. Alabama has one of the nation’s lowest workforce participation rates, she said, and one of the top factors that unemployed Alabamians cite as a barrier is personal illness or disability.

“Closing the coverage gap is both a moral imperative and a workforce issue,” Smith said. “Access to health care is fundamental for a thriving workforce. When individuals are healthy and cared for, they can contribute fully to our economy. The absence of health care access in Alabama undermines our ability to attract and retain talent, hindering our economic potential.”

‘The time for action is now’

Momentum for closing the coverage gap is growing in the South. Last year, North Carolina became the 40th state to expand Medicaid to cover adults with low incomes. And in February, the Mississippi House voted overwhelmingly in favor of Medicaid expansion. Lawmakers there are now working to resolve differences between House and Senate proposals.

Alabama can and should act to close its coverage gap as well, Smith said. Under the American Rescue Plan Act, the state would get a two-year federal signing bonus worth more than $600 million for adopting expansion. In addition, the state would receive a permanent 9-to-1 federal match under the Affordable Care Act for covering people newly enrolled under Medicaid expansion. Alabama could close the coverage gap either through legislation or through an executive order by Gov. Kay Ivey.

“It’s time to put politics aside for the well-being of our people,” Smith said. “This isn’t about party lines or partisan agendas. It’s about doing what’s right for Alabama. Governor Ivey, the time for action is now.”

Alabama Arise announces newly formed staff union

By Alabama Arise

The staff, leadership and board of Alabama Arise are thrilled to announce the launch of Alabama Arise Workers United-Communications Workers of America (AAWU-CWA), the newly formed Arise staff union. AAWU-CWA is an affiliate of CWA Local 3908.

“I am honored to be a part of an organization that allowed us to make our own choice about whether or not to join a union,” said Formeeca Tripp, Arise’s southeast Alabama organizer. “Even though we have a safe work environment, it is reassuring to know I have job security and a voice as a union-represented worker.”

All eligible Arise staff members signed authorization cards to join CWA in November after a short organizing campaign. Arise staff and board leadership unanimously supported voluntary recognition of the union.

Alabama Arise’s staff members and staff leadership team pose for a photo during a retreat in November 2023 near Columbiana.

“As a pro-labor organization, voluntarily recognizing our staff union was an easy choice for Arise,” Alabama Arise executive director Robyn Hyden said. “As a leader, I think our greatest accomplishment is supporting and growing leadership at all levels of our organization. I believe everyone has something to contribute to building a strong and healthy workplace, and I’m so proud of our staff for taking this step.”

AAWU-CWA has elected bargaining representatives and stewards to negotiate an initial bargaining agreement.

“I’m honored and energized to be one of Alabama Arise’s first union stewards to help transition our members and organization into a more equitable and democratic relationship,” said McKenzie Burton, an Arise development associate and one of AAWU-CWA’s newly elected stewards. “Unions are vital in uplifting and protecting Alabama’s workforce. They built the middle class and are what will rebuild the middle class. I am humbled to be a part of an organization that continues to champion these values at every level.”

The protection and power of Alabama’s workers are critical to Arise’s mission to improve the lives of Alabamians who are marginalized by poverty and to ensure all people have resources and opportunities to reach their full potential.

“I grew up as a child of a union parent, and now I am able to pass that experience on to my children,” Tripp said.

About Alabama Arise

Alabama Arise is a statewide, member-led organization advancing public policies to improve the lives of Alabamians who are marginalized by poverty. Arise’s membership includes faith-based, community, nonprofit and civic groups, grassroots leaders and individuals across Alabama.

About Alabama Arise Workers United-Communications Workers of America

AAWU-CWA is a movement of non-managerial workers who believe in preserving a sustainable, equitable and secure workplace at Alabama Arise. AAWU-CWA represents workers from every team in the organization and from all levels of union-eligible staff. Follow AAWU-CWA on Twitter: @AriseWorkers.

Alabama should improve wages, working conditions for autoworkers, new Alabama Arise report finds

By Chris Sanders

State of Working Alabama logo

Declining wages and pay gaps in Alabama’s auto manufacturing industry cost the state hundreds of millions of dollars in labor income and economic growth each year, an Alabama Arise report released Thursday found. Racial, gender and geographic pay disparities also persist even though Alabama automakers have received more than $1.6 billion in public incentives since 1993.

In The State of Working Alabama 2023, Arise assessed the results of the state’s 30-year drive to launch and grow its auto manufacturing industry. The industry has benefited Alabama in many ways, the report found, employing more than 44,000 people and paying average wages that are higher than those for other workers in the state. The report also explained how Alabama could build on those successes by centering workers in its economic development strategy. Among the key recommendations:

  • Policymakers should strengthen the wage, benefit and accountability standards for tax incentives and other state and local subsidies.
  • Alabama should boost investments in K-12 education, child care and workforce training.
  • Automakers should raise worker pay to at least the same amount workers earned 20 years ago, adjusted for inflation.
  • Automakers should eliminate pay disparities between men and women, between white people and people of color, and between workers in Alabama and other states.
  • Employers and policymakers should recognize organized labor as a key partner in improving wages, working conditions, operations and productivity.

“Alabama has bet big on the auto industry, and we must ensure that bet benefits our state to the greatest extent possible,” said Dev Wakeley, Alabama Arise’s worker policy advocate and a report co-author. “Policymakers, employers, workers, unions and community partners all have vital roles to play in strengthening our state’s auto industry and economy. By working together, we can build a more prosperous and inclusive economy that improves life for every Alabamian.”

The high costs of lower wages for Alabama autoworkers

One crucial step to advance shared prosperity in Alabama’s auto industry would be to increase workers’ wages, the report found. Inflation-adjusted average wages for Alabama autoworkers were 11% (or $7,770) lower in 2019 than in 2002, the report found. By contrast, average wages increased for other manufacturing workers and for workers overall in Alabama during that period. The cumulative ripple effects of just one year of these lower autoworker earnings cost Alabama 1,622 jobs, $418 million in additional labor income and $586 million in GDP, the report found.

Eliminating pay disparities across racial, gender and geographic lines is another essential step to ensure equity in Alabama’s auto industry, the report found. Black autoworkers in Alabama on average received 83 cents for every dollar that a white autoworker received in 2019. For Hispanic autoworkers, that amount was 78 cents for every dollar that a white autoworker received. Women in Alabama’s auto industry earned just 73 cents for every dollar that men earned. And average pay for Alabama autoworkers has been consistently below the national average for decades.

“Many wage disparities in Alabama’s auto industry result from underrepresentation of women and people of color in high-wage occupations within the industry,” Wakeley said. “Employers should address these gaps through targeted hiring and training and with more consistent and advanced scheduling. And both employers and policymakers should do more to increase the availability and affordability of child care.”

Reforms to improve working conditions for Alabama autoworkers

Many auto employers in Alabama also should take action to improve working conditions at their facilities, the report found. Arise’s interviews with numerous autoworkers revealed serious employee concerns about promotion and disciplinary practices and changes in pay rates.

The report recommends that employers address these concerns by ending tiered wage systems and enacting industry-standard workplace protections to eliminate arbitrary or bad-faith discipline decisions. The report also urges employers to pursue community benefits agreements with local stakeholders to demonstrate their commitment to making a positive impact on the communities where they make their products and profits.

Full report

Alabama Arise’s new report, The State of Working Alabama 2023 – A Wheel in the Ditch: A Closer Look at Alabama’s Big Bet on the Auto Manufacturing Industry, is available here. A downloadable PDF of the report is available here.

Alabama Arise unveils 2024 roadmap for change in Alabama

By Chris Sanders

Expanding Medicaid and ending the state sales tax on groceries will remain top goals on Alabama Arise’s 2024 legislative agenda. The group also will pursue a multifaceted approach to improving maternal and infant health in Alabama.

More than 500 members voted to determine Arise’s legislative priorities in recent days after the organization’s annual meeting Saturday. The seven priorities chosen were:

  • Adequate budgets for human services, including expanding Medicaid to make health coverage affordable for all Alabamians and protecting public education funding for all students.
  • Tax reform to build a more just and sustainable revenue system, including eliminating the rest of Alabama’s state sales tax on groceries and replacing the revenue equitably.
  • Voting rights, including no-excuse early voting, removal of barriers to voting rights restoration for disenfranchised Alabamians, and other policies to protect and expand multiracial democracy.
  • Criminal justice reform, including legislation to reform punitive sentencing laws and efforts to reduce overreliance on exorbitant fines and fees as a revenue source.
  • Comprehensive maternal and infant health care investments to ensure the health and safety of Alabama families.
  • Dedicated funding for public transportation to empower Alabamians with low incomes to stay connected to work, school, health care and their communities.
  • Death penalty reform, including a law to require juries to be unanimous in any decision to impose a death sentence.

“Arise believes in dignity, equity and justice for everyone,” Alabama Arise executive director Robyn Hyden said. “Our 2024 legislative priorities reflect our members’ embrace of those values, and they underscore the need to enact policies that empower Alabamians of every race, income and background to reach their full potential. Together, we’re working to build a healthier, more just and more inclusive Alabama for all.”

An infographic naming Alabama Arise's 2024 legislative priorities, Arise's roadmap to a better Alabama. The priorities are untaxing groceries, Medicaid expansion, voting rights, criminal justice reform, maternal and infant health, public transportation and death penalty reform.

The time is right to close Alabama’s health coverage gap

One essential step toward a healthier future for Alabama is to ensure everyone can afford the health care they need. Arise members believe Medicaid expansion is a policy path to that destination, and research provides strong support for that position.

Expanding Medicaid to cover adults with low incomes would reduce racial health disparities and remove financial barriers to health care for nearly 300,000 Alabamians. It would support thousands of new jobs across the state. And most importantly, it would save hundreds of lives every year.

“Medicaid expansion would boost our economy and improve the lives of hundreds of thousands of Alabamians,” Hyden said. “It’s time for Alabama’s policymakers to make this life-saving and job-creating investment in the people of our state. Ensuring Alabamians’ health and well-being now will help our state flourish for decades to come.”

Alabama became one of only 10 states yet to expand Medicaid after North Carolina enacted expansion in March. Medicaid expansion would ensure health coverage for nearly 300,000 Alabamians caught in the coverage gap. Most of these residents earn too much to qualify for the state’s bare-bones Medicaid program but too little to afford private plans.

How Medicaid expansion would improve maternal and infant health

Medicaid expansion also would bolster health care access for Alabamians before, during and after pregnancies. This would be a critical life-saving move in Alabama, which has the nation’s worst maternal mortality rate. Those rates are even higher for Black women, who are twice as likely to die during birth as white women. Adding to the problem, more than two-thirds of Alabama counties offer little or no maternity care or obstetrical services.

“Alabama took an important step to help families stay healthy by extending Medicaid postpartum coverage last year,” Hyden said. “However, that step alone was not enough to meet our state’s numerous health care needs. Policymakers should pursue numerous solutions to make Alabama a better place for parents and babies. At the top of that list should be expanding Medicaid to ensure Alabamians of all ages can stay healthy before, during and after conception.”

New to Arise’s agenda this year is a comprehensive policy approach to safeguarding and expanding access to maternal and infant health care in Alabama. In addition to Medicaid expansion, this approach would promote seamless continuity of care between home and clinical settings. It would include coverage for contraception and midwifery services. And it would eliminate the specter of criminal penalties for doctors who provide care to pregnant people who are experiencing life-threatening complications.

Finish the job: Alabama should remove the rest of the state grocery tax

Arise advocacy got results this year when legislators voted unanimously to reduce Alabama’s state sales tax on groceries by half. The new law reduced the state grocery tax from 4 cents to 3 cents on Sept. 1. Another 1-cent reduction will occur in 2024 or the first subsequent year when education revenues grow by at least 3.5%.

Arise’s members have advocated for decades to untax groceries, and they renewed their commitment to continue that work in 2024. Ending the state grocery tax remains a core Arise priority because the tax makes it harder for people with low incomes to make ends meet. The tax adds hundreds of dollars a year to the cost of a basic necessity for families. And most states have abandoned it: Alabama is one of only 12 states that still tax groceries.

The state grocery tax brought in roughly 7% of the Education Trust Fund’s revenue in the last budget year. But lawmakers have options to remove the other half of the state grocery tax while protecting funding for public schools. Arise will continue to support legislation to untax groceries and replace the revenue by capping or eliminating the state income tax deduction for federal income taxes. This deduction is a tax break that overwhelmingly benefits the richest households.

“Reducing the state grocery tax was an important step toward righting the wrongs of Alabama’s upside-down tax system,” Hyden said. “By untaxing groceries and reining in the federal income tax deduction, lawmakers can do even more to empower families to keep food on the table. Closing this skewed loophole is an opportunity to protect funding for our children’s public schools and ensure Alabama can afford to end the state grocery tax forever.”

New report: Medicaid expansion would improve maternal health in Alabama

By Chris Sanders

Medicaid expansion would improve women’s health and expand access to maternal health care across Alabama, a new Georgetown University Center for Children and Families (CCF) report found. Expansion also would help reduce racial disparities, improve infants’ health and strengthen rural health care access, the report found.

Nearly one in six Alabama women (15.9%) of reproductive age (18-44) lack health insurance, CCF found. That rate is significantly higher than the national average (11.7%). And uninsured rates are sharply higher among Hispanic (41.5%) and Native American (46.7%) women in Alabama. Medicaid expansion would help by ensuring health coverage for tens of thousands of Alabama women who cannot afford it.

Alabama policymakers took an important step forward for women’s health last year by extending the Medicaid postpartum coverage period. That extension ensured coverage for a full year after childbirth, up from the previous cutoff of just 60 days afterward. But much work remains to protect women’s health in the state, Alabama Arise’s Cover Alabama campaign director Debbie Smith said.

Alabama Arise story collection coordinator Whit Sides speaks at a March 9, 2022, rally in Montgomery to support extending postpartum Medicaid coverage. Arise joined the American Heart Association and other Cover Alabama partners at the event.

“State leaders showed they’re willing to address Alabama’s maternal health crisis when they extended Medicaid postpartum coverage last year,” Smith said. “However, these findings show that this step alone is not enough to help mothers and families stay healthy. Alabama should take the next logical step to protect women’s health and expand Medicaid coverage for adults with low incomes. We urge Gov. Kay Ivey and legislators to make Alabama a better place for parents and babies by expanding Medicaid.”

Medicaid expansion would save lives, protect rural health care access

The consequences of being unable to afford timely medical care can be deadly. Alabama had the nation’s third-worst maternal mortality rate between 2018 and 2020, the report found. The state’s rate (36.2 maternal deaths per 100,000 live births) was significantly higher than the national average (20.4 per 100,000) in those years.

Alabama’s infant mortality rate (7.2 infant deaths per 1,000 live births) also was much higher than the national average (5.4 per 1,000) in 2020. Black babies died at an even higher rate in Alabama that year (11.1 per 1,000 live births).

A decades-long decline in access to maternity and obstetric care in rural Alabama is compounding these terrible statistics. Twenty-nine of Alabama’s 54 rural counties lost hospital obstetric care providers between 1980 and 2019, CCF found. These closures required women in these counties to travel farther to providers elsewhere. That, in turn, can reduce the timeliness of care and increase barriers for women with limited transportation options.

Medicaid expansion is associated with lower maternal and infant mortality rates, with the greatest benefits for Black women and infants. Expansion also promotes health improvements throughout pregnancy and into children’s early years, CCF found. In addition, Medicaid expansion would decrease the costs of uncompensated care significantly, allowing more rural hospitals and providers to remain open to continue treating pregnant Alabamians.

“Research shows that stable health coverage for women before, during and after pregnancy can save moms and babies’ lives,” said Joan Alker, executive director of the Georgetown University Center for Children and Families. “Medicaid expansion is an essential investment in the health of Alabamians and builds a solid foundation for the state’s future.”

Read the full report here.

Grocery tax reduction bill’s passage is a win for every Alabamian

By Chris Sanders

The Alabama Senate voted 31-0 Thursday to pass HB 479, a bill to reduce the state sales tax on groceries beginning Sept. 1. The bill now goes to Gov. Kay Ivey. Alabama Arise executive director Robyn Hyden released the following statement Thursday in response:

“Reducing the state sales tax on groceries will provide meaningful help for Alabamians who struggle to make ends meet. Alabama Arise is thrilled that legislators listened to the people by voting unanimously for this essential policy change. And we urge Gov. Kay Ivey to sign HB 479 into law quickly.

“Arise members from every corner of our state have advocated relentlessly for decades for Alabama to untax groceries. We cannot thank our members enough for their persistent efforts to make this bill’s passage a reality. Today is a testament to what’s possible when Alabamians of all races, genders, incomes and beliefs work together toward a vision of shared prosperity and a brighter future.

“This grocery tax reduction will benefit every Alabamian. And it is an important step toward righting the wrongs of our state’s upside-down tax system, which forces Alabamians with low and moderate incomes to pay a higher share of their incomes in state and local taxes than the wealthiest households.

“We appreciate Rep. Danny Garrett, Sen. Andrew Jones and Lt. Gov. Will Ainsworth for guiding HB 479 through the Legislature. We’re thankful for Rep. Penni McClammy and Sen. Merika Coleman for championing legislation on this issue this year. And we’re grateful for former Rep. John Knight, former Sen. Hank Sanders, Reps. Laura Hall and Mary Moore, and so many other legislators whose determined work over so many years laid the groundwork for this moment.

What should happen next

“Reducing the state grocery tax is a vital step toward the goal of ultimately eliminating it. The grocery tax is a cruel tax on survival, driving many families deeper into poverty. Quite simply, there are many better ways for Alabama to raise revenue than taxing a necessity of life.

Alabama Arise supporters gather outside the State House in Montgomery during Arise’s Legislative Day on April 11, 2023. More than 100 Alabamians came to urge their lawmakers to end the state sales tax on groceries.

“It will be important to ensure grocery tax elimination doesn’t harm our children’s education in the long term. The state grocery tax brings in more than $600 million a year for the Education Trust Fund. That’s about 7% of this year’s total ETF budget, making it a significant funding source for public schools.

“Revenues are strong enough for now to reduce the grocery tax without causing severe harm to education funding. But history tells us that good economic times won’t last forever. In the coming months, lawmakers should identify and agree to a sustainable solution to end the rest of the state grocery tax.

“Arise is open to numerous ideas for replacement revenue, and we look forward to working with the state’s new Joint Study Commission on Grocery Taxation to find a path forward. We continue to support our longstanding proposal to replace grocery tax revenue by capping or ending the state income tax deduction for federal income tax payments. Alabama is the only state to allow this full deduction, which overwhelmingly benefits the wealthiest households. Closing this skewed loophole would protect funding for public schools and ensure Alabama can afford to end the state sales tax on groceries forever.”

This is the moment: It’s time for Alabama to untax groceries

By Chris Sanders

Sen. Andrew Jones, R-Centre, filed legislation Thursday to reduce Alabama’s state sales tax on groceries. Jones’ SB 257 is co-sponsored by all 35 state senators. Alabama Arise executive director Robyn Hyden released the following statement Friday in response:

“Alabama Arise is thrilled to see widespread, bipartisan support from every senator for reducing the state sales tax on groceries. We support Sen. Andrew Jones’ legislation and appreciate the leadership that he and Rep. Penni McClammy have shown on this issue. It’s time for lawmakers to seize this opportunity to untax groceries and improve life for every Alabamian.

Sen. Andrew Jones, R-Centre, briefs Alabama Arise Action supporters about his efforts to untax groceries during Arise’s Legislative Day on April 11, 2023, in Montgomery.

“Reducing and ultimately eliminating the state grocery tax would make it easier for families to make ends meet. It would remove Alabama from the shameful list of three states with no tax break on groceries. It also would be an important step toward righting the wrongs of our state’s upside-down tax system.

“Alabamians with low and moderate incomes pay a higher share of their incomes in state and local taxes than the wealthiest households, and high sales taxes – particularly on food – are a major reason why. Quite simply, there are better ways for Alabama to raise revenue than taxing a necessity of life.

Alabama Arise supporters gather outside the State House in Montgomery during Arise’s Legislative Day on April 11, 2023. More than 100 Alabamians came to urge their lawmakers to end the state sales tax on groceries.

“It will be important, however, to ensure any grocery tax cut doesn’t harm our children’s education in the long term. The state grocery tax brings in more than $600 million a year for the Education Trust Fund. That’s about 7% of this year’s total ETF budget, making it a significant funding source for public schools.

“Revenues are likely strong enough for now to reduce the state grocery tax without causing severe harm to education funding. But history tells us that good economic times won’t last forever. Lawmakers should use the coming months to identify and agree to a lasting solution to replace the state grocery tax.

Sen. Merika Coleman, D-Pleasant Grove, advocates for her plan to untax groceries during Arise’s Legislative Day on April 11, 2023, in Montgomery.

“Arise is open to numerous ideas for replacement revenue. We continue to support Sen. Merika Coleman’s proposal to untax groceries and end the state income tax deduction for federal income tax payments. Alabama is the only state to allow this full deduction, which overwhelmingly benefits wealthy households. Closing this skewed loophole would protect funding for public schools and ensure Alabama can afford to end the state sales tax on groceries forever.

“Alabama Arise members have advocated for decades to end the state grocery tax, and the people of Alabama strongly support this effort. The time for excuses and delays is over. It’s time for our lawmakers to untax groceries.”