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Fact Sheet
Alabama’s justice system should focus on rehabilitation, not cruelty
Haga clic aquí para leer esto en español. Alabama’s criminal justice system too often prioritizes punishment over evidence-based interventions. This cruel orientation has fueled heavy-handed sentencing policies and a broken parole system. And it has led to a death penalty system where state officials continue to kill prisoners against the recommendation of the juries that [...]
Fact Sheet
An inclusive democracy is vital to building a better Alabama for all
Haga clic aquí para leer esto en español. Alabama was central to the struggle for democracy and voting rights in the United States during the Civil Rights Movement in the 1950s and 1960s. And the need for our state to do more to build a more inclusive democracy continues today. That is especially true after [...]
Fact Sheet
Federal SNAP cuts underscore Alabama’s need to protect and increase food access
Haga clic aquí para leer esto en español. Alabama’s food insecurity rates are among the worst in the country. More than 1 in 6 people in our state (17%) face food insecurity, according to the Alabama Department of Public Health. And that share is even larger for children: Nearly 1 in 4 Alabama children (23%) [...]
Fact Sheet
Closing the health coverage gap: Alabama must enact policies to save lives
Haga clic aquí para leer esto en español. By Jennifer Harris, senior health policy advocate, and Debbie Smith, Cover Alabama campaign director As Alabama enters the 2026 legislative session, Medicaid expansion and maternal health will be central to the state’s health equity conversations. Recent federal policy changes have made these conversations more urgent and more [...]
Fact Sheet
Strong investments in schools, housing and transit improve life for all Alabamians
Haga clic aquí para leer esto en español. Strong funding for public services like education and public health broadens opportunity for everyone, especially for Alabamians with low incomes. Alabama Arise members for decades have urged robust and secure state funding for these services. Arise members’ top budget priorities for 2026 include: Public school funding Lawmakers [...]
Blog
Arise legislative update: Week of Jan. 12, 2026
Arise's Robyn Hyden welcomes everyone to the Alabama Legislature's 2026 regular session. Watch to see what to expect this year and to learn more about our advocacy on school breakfast, protecting funding for public schools and other member-selected legislative priorities. Click the link below for a full rundown on our 2026 priorities. Full transcript: Happy [...]
Blog
Southwest Alabama organizer Bernadette Allen brings new energy to Alabama Arise
Bernadette Allen is one of Arise’s newest staff members, joining our team as the Southwest Alabama organizer in May 2025. Like many other staff members, she began her career in a different field before joining Alabama Arise. Bernadette worked in the federal government for 18 years, retiring last May. In her free time, she sought [...]
Newsletter
December 2025 newsletter
[caption id="attachment_11458" align="aligncenter" width="800"] Members attend Arise's Annual Meeting on Saturday, Sept. 27, 2025, in Montgomery, Ala. (Photo by Julie Bennett)[/caption] Building on our momentum for the new year By David Stout, legislative director As we close out 2025, Arise members and member organizations can reflect on a very successful year. Reducing the state sales [...]
Resources
Building on our momentum for the new year
As we close out 2025, Arise members and member organizations can reflect on a very successful year. Reducing the state sales tax on groceries from 3% to 2% and guaranteeing more students in public schools get a free breakfast with a $7.3 million budget appropriation were two of the biggest highlights worth celebrating. Improvements were [...]
Blog
Arise’s 2026 priorities highlight our roadmap for change in Alabama
Nearly 600 members voted to affirm Alabama Arise’s 2026 legislative priorities after this fall’s Annual Meeting. In order, our priorities for the next four years will be: Health equity Hunger relief Adequate state budgets Inclusive democracy Justice reform Tax reform Worker power Arise adopted a new approach to member voting on legislative priorities for 2026, [...]