“Alabama Arise is excited to see widespread, bipartisan support for reducing the state sales tax on groceries. The grocery tax reduction in 2023 was an essential first step toward tax justice in Alabama, and we look forward to working with lawmakers to continue the progress on this vital issue this year.
“Further reducing and ultimately eliminating the state sales tax on groceries would provide meaningful help for Alabamians who struggle to make ends meet. Reducing the grocery tax benefits 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.
“The state grocery tax is a cruel tax on survival. It drives many families deeper into poverty. And Arise remains committed to the goal of eliminating it entirely. Arise members from every corner of our state have advocated relentlessly for decades for Alabama to untax groceries. Our work will continue until the state grocery tax is in the dustbin of history where it belongs.
How to ensure the grocery tax reduction lasts
“It is important to ensure grocery tax elimination doesn’t harm our children’s education in the long term. Education Trust Fund revenues are strong enough for now to reduce the grocery tax without causing severe harm to school funding. But history tells us that good economic times don’t last forever. Lawmakers must work together to agree to a solution to untax groceries sustainably and responsibly.
“Arise is open to numerous ideas for replacement revenue, and we will continue working with the state’s 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.”
Congress should oppose efforts to cut funding or create additional enrollment barriers for Medicaid and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), 112 organizations across Alabama wrote in a letter to Alabama’s congressional delegation this week.
“We write to request respectfully that, in your deliberations about federal budget and tax policy, you ensure that Congress protects the health and nutrition safety net that keeps so many Alabama children fed and healthy and that helps so many Alabamians make ends meet,” the groups wrote.
The organizations sent the letter before the U.S. House voted Tuesday night to pass a budget resolution that could set the stage for more than $1 trillion of cuts to health coverage and food assistance over the next decade. That vote was one step in a multi-part budget process. The House and Senate still must agree on an identical budget resolution, after which lawmakers would begin to specify funding cuts to meet its numerical targets.
Congressional leaders are considering cuts to health coverage, food assistance and other human services in a push to offset the cost of tax cuts for wealthy households. The amount of potential Medicaid and SNAP cuts in the House budget resolution would be roughly equal to the cost of extending tax breaks for the wealthiest 1% of households, according to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, a nonprofit research and policy institute in Washington, D.C.
Alabama Arise is among 112 organizations that signed the letter to the state’s two U.S. senators and seven U.S. representatives. Read the full letter here.
Medicaid cuts and new barriers would harm Alabama families and rural communities
Medicaid is at risk of deep federal funding cuts or caps during this process. The federal-state health insurance program for people with low incomes is essential to Alabama’s economy and health care infrastructure. Medicaid covers 1 in 5 Alabamians, almost all of whom are children, older adults, or people with disabilities. At $6.8 billion, Medicaid also is the largest source of federal funds in Alabama’s budget.
Federal Medicaid cuts would undermine health care access for children, pregnant women and nursing home residents, Arise and partners wrote. Cuts also would strain the state’s General Fund budget and further imperil rural hospitals and clinics, the letter said. In addition, Congress is considering new work reporting requirements that, along with potential funding cuts, could strip health coverage from as many as 1 in 5 Alabamians enrolled in Medicaid.
“Any cuts to federal Medicaid funding, restrictive policies aimed at encouraging disenrollment just to reduce costs, or caps that limit the ability of federal funding to keep pace with inflation would directly impact more than 1 million Alabama children and families,” the organizations wrote. “Such cuts would damage our communities, devastate our state budget and weaken Alabama’s economy.”
The letter highlighted some of Medicaid’s many benefits to Alabama:
Pediatric care for half of all Alabama children, including the majority of children with intensive health care needs.
Perinatal care for half of Alabama pregnant mothers and their babies.
Long-term services and supports for 3 in 4 nursing home residents, and for most children and adults who receive nursing care at home.
The leading source of health insurance in rural communities, and an essential source of funding for hard-pressed rural hospitals and clinics.
Direct grants to hospitals to sustain costly services, such as neonatal intensive care units, which serve their entire communities.
SNAP cuts would increase hunger and hardship across Alabama
SNAP is also at risk of harmful cuts as Congress continues the budget process. The program provides vital, federally funded nutrition assistance to about 1 in 7 Alabamians — more than 750,000 people. More than 2 in 3 households that participate in SNAP are families with children. Many other participants are older adults or people with disabilities.
The letter from Arise and partner organizations called SNAP “the most effective anti-hunger program in the United States.” SNAP’s role in reducing hunger is especially important in Alabama and other states with high poverty rates. Nearly 1 in 4 Alabama children face food insecurity, meaning they do not always have enough to eat or know where they will get their next meal. Funding cuts or other new barriers to SNAP enrollment would increase hunger and hurt local retailers, the groups’ letter said.
“In a time of persistently higher food prices, [SNAP] is more important than ever,” the organizations wrote. “Every dollar of federal SNAP funding not only affords families the necessary nutrition, but it also helps stimulate local economies.”
Potential Medicaid and SNAP cuts would help fund tax breaks for the wealthiest households
The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, enacted in 2017, increased federal deficits by nearly $2 trillion while lavishing tax cuts on the country’s wealthiest households. Many of the law’s provisions are set to expire this year, including numerous tax breaks that disproportionately benefit wealthy people. These include higher estate tax exemptions and a cut to the top marginal income tax rate. Other provisions are permanent and not up for renewal, including a 40% reduction of the corporate income tax rate. This tax break overwhelmingly benefits large, highly profitable corporations.
Proposals to renew and expand these tax breaks would be similarly skewed in favor of the wealthiest Americans. The White House’s proposed tax plan would lead on average to “a tax cut for the richest 5% of Americans and a tax increase for the other 95% of Americans,” according to the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy, a nonprofit tax policy research organization in Washington, D.C.
“It’s wrong to hurt people who are struggling to help people who are already doing well. But Congress is expected to vote soon on budget and tax legislation that would do exactly that.
“Congress must decide this year whether to renew the 2017 federal tax cut law, which provided tax breaks that overwhelmingly benefited wealthy households and highly profitable corporations. To offset the cost of these tax giveaways, Congress would have to slash funding in other areas. And many of those proposed service cuts would make life worse for Alabamians who struggle to make ends meet.
“The damage could be severe for hundreds of thousands of people across our state. As many as 1 in 5 Alabamians enrolled in Medicaid could lose their health coverage due to cuts and onerous work reporting requirements. Many more people could see food assistance reduced or eliminated. Other potential targets for cuts include school meals, the Child Tax Credit and tax credits for Affordable Care Act coverage.
“These cuts could cause more economic harm in our state than in most others, because Alabama receives far more federal dollars than we pay in taxes to the federal government. In 2022, Alabamians got a return of $2.01 for every dollar in federal taxes paid per capita. That ranked Alabama as the nation’s seventh-highest beneficiary of federal funds.
“As Alabama Arise and 55 partner organizations wrote last month to Alabama’s congressional delegation, Congress should put the future and well-being of all of us ahead of tax cuts for the wealthy and well-connected. Our lawmakers should reject harmful service cuts for working people and tax giveaways to wealthy households. And they should focus instead on building an economy that works for everyone in Alabama and across our country.”
How federal funding improves the quality of life in Alabama
Alabama receives a wide array of federal funding to support and maintain public infrastructure, programs and services. This funding is administered at the state, regional and local levels. Alabama benefited from more than $14.5 billion in federal funds in fiscal year (FY) 2024. Here are a few key examples:
$8.1 billion for health and human services, including Medicaid, the Children’s Health Insurance Program (known as ALL Kids in Alabama), Head Start, child care subsidies, child welfare and child protective services, HIV/AIDS prevention, opioid and substance use disorder treatment programs, and supportive services for older adults and people with disabilities.
$2.86 billion for nutrition and agriculture programs, including the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC), school meal programs, emergency food assistance, cooperative extension services and agricultural research.
$1.4 billion for transportation, including funds for highways, railways, airports and bridges.
$1.35 billion for education, including Title I programs, Pell Grants, special education programs and 21st Century Community Learning Centers.
$318 million for housing and urban development programs, including homeownership programs, Community Development Block Grants and assistance for people facing homelessness.
$142.1 million for environmental protection, including grants to support clean water, clean air, pesticide management and enforcement of hazardous waste disposal.
$110 million for fish and wildlife programs and other programs supported by the Department of the Interior.
$92.4 million for the Tennessee Valley Authority.
$82 million for workforce development programs, including jobs programs for veterans, unemployment insurance and Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) programs.
$23.8 million for Department of Justice programs, including sexual assault investigations, supports for crime victims and programs to prevent violence against women.
$12.6 million for homeland security.
$4.7 million for energy assistance and weatherization programs.
$2.1 million from the National Endowment for the Arts.
Congress should oppose efforts to increase tax breaks for wealthy Americans and highly profitable corporations this year, 56 organizations across Alabama wrote in a letter sent to Alabama’s congressional delegation Wednesday. Lawmakers instead should seek to boost tax credits that expand opportunities for working people and families, the letter said.
“We urge you and all members of the Alabama delegation to reject renewed or expanded tax cuts for the wealthiest people in our society,” the groups wrote. “And we urge you instead to provide meaningful tax reductions for ordinary families in Alabama and nationwide through an expanded Child Tax Credit and expanded Earned Income Tax Credit.”
Alabama Arise is among 56 organizations that signed the letter to the state’s two U.S. senators and seven U.S. representatives. Read the full letter here.
‘An opportunity to address long-standing inequities with our tax code’
The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA), enacted in 2017, increased federal deficits by nearly $2 trillion while lavishing tax cuts on the country’s wealthiest households. The law failed to live up to proponents’ claims that it would pay for itself or fuel wage increases for most workers, the organizations’ letter said.
Many TCJA provisions are set to expire this year, including numerous tax breaks that disproportionately benefit wealthy people. These include higher estate tax exemptions and a cut to the top marginal income tax rate. Other provisions are permanent and not up for renewal, including a 40% reduction of the corporate income tax rate. This tax break overwhelmingly benefits large, highly profitable corporations.
Proposals to renew and expand these tax breaks would be similarly skewed in favor of the wealthiest Americans. The White House’s proposed tax plan would lead on average to “a tax cut for the richest 5% of Americans and a tax increase for the other 95% of Americans,” according to the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy (ITEP), a nonprofit tax policy research organization in Washington, D.C.
Lawmakers will have an opportunity during this year’s federal tax and budget debates to choose a better, more inclusive path, the Alabama organizations wrote.
“The expiration of these provisions [is] an opportunity to address long-standing inequities with our tax code and to raise more revenue to meet our country’s current obligations and address critical unmet needs,” the groups wrote.
Child Tax Credit, EITC improvements would reduce poverty, expand opportunity
A key TCJA provision that helped working families is also set to expire: an increase of the maximum Child Tax Credit (CTC) from $1,000 per child to the present $2,000 per child. Boosting the CTC is a proven way to ease suffering and expand economic opportunity, as 2021’s temporary CTC increase showed.
Congress in 2021 expanded the CTC for one year under the American Rescue Plan Act. The expansion increased the maximum credit for children under age 6 to $3,600, and for all other children to $3,000. It made the full CTC available to children living in families with low or no earnings. And it extended the credit to 17-year-olds, who previously were ineligible.
“No matter what you look like or where you’re from, we all believe in caring for our families and community,” the organizations wrote to Alabama’s congressional delegation. “Americans want you to meet the moment and put the future and well-being of all of us ahead of tax cuts for the wealthy and well-connected.”
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.”
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.
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 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.
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.
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.
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.”
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.”
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.”
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)
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.”
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.
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.”
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.
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.
