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Grocery tax, protecting voting rights among Arise priorities for 2024 session
The Alabama Legislature began its second regular session of the current quadrennium on Feb. 6. Lawmakers already have voted on numerous hot-button issues early in this session, and Alabama Arise anticipates that trend may continue. The upcoming presidential election, Alabama’s early primary date and other political factors may color what legislative leaders prioritize this year. [...]
Blog
Arise legislative update: March 4, 2024
Arise's Akiesha Anderson gives a rundown on a plethora of bills we are monitoring on voting rights, education funding and other issues as we begin the fifth week of the Alabama Legislature's 2024 regular session. As a reminder, you can always visit alarise.org and click on "Take Action" to see a list of our action [...]
Blog
Arise legislative update: Feb. 20, 2024
Arise's Akiesha Anderson provides updates on all the bills that moved last week and previews what's to come this week in the Alabama Legislature. Topics include a harmful bill that would create barriers to absentee voting, efforts to preserve child labor protections, the future of the state sales tax on groceries and the CHOOSE Act, [...]
Blog
Arise legislative update: Feb. 12, 2024
Arise's Akiesha Anderson catches everyone up on a busier-than-normal first week of the Alabama legislative session and previews an additional busy week ahead. Anderson discusses what's been happening with a harmful bill that would create more barriers to absentee voting and provides an update on the future of the state sales tax on groceries. Full [...]
Blog
Arise legislative update: Feb. 6, 2024
Arise's Akiesha Anderson welcomes everyone to the Alabama Legislature's 2024 regular session. She talks about what we'll be looking out for on our members' legislative priorities and how you can stay engaged with us this year as we work to build a better, more inclusive Alabama. Full video transcript: Hi, everyone. My name is Akiesha [...]
Letters & Testimony
Alabama Arise joins state commission on elimination of state grocery tax
The state sales tax on groceries is a cruel tax on survival, and Alabama Arise is committed to eliminating it. That is why I am grateful that Sen. Bobby Singleton nominated me to serve on the Joint Study Commission on Grocery Taxation on behalf of Arise. I am extremely excited about and honored for this [...]
Blog
Three strategies to boost Alabama’s workforce
Alabama leaders and policymakers are stressing about one big issue going into the 2024 legislative session: labor force participation. Alabama’s labor force participation rate is among the nation’s lowest. Only 57% of working-age adults reported they were actively working or looking for jobs as of September 2023. We also have a severe worker shortage, with [...]
News Releases
Alabama Arise unveils 2024 roadmap for change in Alabama
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. [...]
Blog
Here’s what Alabama Arise heard from you in summer 2023!
Alabama Arise listens because we deeply value the input we get from members, partners and most importantly, those directly affected by the work we do together. We depend on what we hear to help guide our issue work and our strategies. We held three statewide online events this summer: two Town Hall Tuesdays and one [...]
Fact Sheet
Explaining Alabama’s state grocery tax reduction: What it covers and what it doesn’t
The sales tax may seem less visible than other taxes because we pay it in small bits, unlike once-a-year property and income tax payments. But in reality, the sales tax is the most regressive of Alabama’s three major state taxes (income, property and sales). It consumes a much greater portion of the household budget for [...]