A note from Arise's executive director:
There are only five work days left in the Alabama Legislature’s 2025 regular session, meaning the session likely will end no later than May 8. That gives us less than two weeks to push all our legislative priorities across the finish line. Please consider taking action using one or more of the action alerts listed below and sharing with your network. This email normally only goes to Arise members, but we need everyone's help to advance our policy platform for a more equitable Alabama. To receive these emails weekly through the legislative session, become an Arise member today at alarise.org/donate. - Robyn Hyden, executive director |
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Arise Legislative Update: April 29, 2025
With just five meeting days in Alabama Legislature's 2025 regular session, Arise's Robyn Hyden highlights one major issue left on the to-do list: further reducing the state sales tax on groceries. HB 386 has passed the House and needs to move to the Senate floor. We need your help to get this crucial legislation across the finish line. Contact your senator today using the aciton alert below! |
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Alabama Arise: Reduce Alabama’s grocery tax again!
Alabama Arise members have advocated for decades to untax groceries in our state. That advocacy led to a historic reduction of the state sales tax on groceries in 2023. Now we have a chance to reduce the grocery tax yet again this year. HB 386 by Rep. Danny Garrett, R-Trussville, would reduce the state sales tax on groceries from 3% to 2% beginning on Sept. 1, 2025. But time is running short to pass the bill this year. Call your state senator using to bring up HB 386 and vote yes!
(The link below will find your senator's phone number and provide you with a script.) |
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Alabama Arise: Vote YES on SB 22 to help stop child labor violations
Alabamians shouldn’t be subsidizing companies that violate child labor laws. But right now, we lack legal safeguards that would help our state to remove tax incentives from companies that exploit children.
SB 22 by Sen. Merika Coleman, D-Pleasant Grove, would stop many state tax incentives from going to companies that violate child labor laws. This would be a good step toward meaningful accountability for bad-actor companies. Email your state representative now and urge them to vote YES on SB 22. |
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Cover Alabama: Stop the authorization of junk health plans in Alabama
Alabama lawmakers are considering legislation to authorize unregulated health plans that would allow coverage to be denied or priced at a premium for preexisting conditions. Tell them this is unacceptable.
The Senate could vote later this week on HB 477, which would authorize junk health plans. Senators need to hear from concerned advocates that they should oppose HB 477. |
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Alabama Arise: Reduce red tape for voting rights restoration
SB 153 by Sen. Linda Coleman-Madison, D-Birmingham, would help remove barriers to voting rights restoration. This bill would be an important step toward ensuring more Alabamians can make their voices heard in the democratic process. The bill has passed in the Senate, and we need your help to get it through the House.
The House could consider SB 153 this week. Email your House member now and ask them to vote YES on SB 153. |
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Alabama Arise: Support mental health wellness for new moms
SB 191 by Sen. Vivian Figures, D-Mobile, would help new mothers receive essential mental health services and support after they give birth. The Senate could vote on this bill as soon as this week. Your senator needs to hear that you support this important legislation. Email your senator and urge them to vote YES on SB 191. |
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Alabama Arise: Invest in mothers and babies and vote YES on HB 138
Alabama needs to do more to address the urgent issue of improving maternal and infant health across our state. The Alabama Women’s CARE Act would take an important step toward advancing that goal in the state’s criminal justice system.
HB 138 by Rep. Rolanda Hollis, D-Birmingham, would allow many pregnant women who were sentenced to incarceration for nonviolent offenses to serve a term of supervised probation during their pregnancy and up to 12 weeks after the birth of their babies. Email your state representative and urge them to vote YES on HB 138. |
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Alabama Arise: Oppose HB 7, a harmful anti-immigrant bill
Arise opposes HB 7 by Rep. Ernie Yarbrough, R-Trinity, an anti-immigrant bill moving at the Alabama Legislature. This harmful bill would discourage many domestic violence victims and other crime victims who live in immigrant communities from reporting crimes for fear of retaliation or investigation from law enforcement. The bill also would undermine civil liberties and increase the risk of racial profiling and wrongful detentions. Please ask your representative to vote NO on HB 7.
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Alabama Arise: Vote NO on SB 53 to protect immigrants and communities from racial profiling
SB 53 by Sen. Wes Kitchens, R-Arab, would undermine civil rights, increase racial profiling and reduce community trust with law enforcement. It also would create an unfunded financial burden on localities and cost Alabama taxpayers money to defend in federal court.
The House could vote on the bill this week. Email your representative today and urge them to vote NO on SB 53. |
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Alabama Arise: Say NO to new barriers to food and health care for struggling Alabamians
Every Alabamian needs groceries and health care to keep their families well. But two bills pending in the Senate would add new barriers to make it harder for families with low incomes to get the health care and food assistance they need to thrive. Take a moment now and urge your senator to vote NO on both of these harmful bills. |
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Alabama Arise: Tell your U.S. senators: Oppose harmful cuts to Medicaid and SNAP
It’s simple: We shouldn’t hurt people who are struggling to help people who are rich. But the U.S. House voted recently for a budget resolution that would set the stage for exactly that. This resolution would set up massive cuts in federal funding for health care and food assistance – all to offset deep tax cuts for the country’s wealthiest households and businesses. There’s still time to stop this bad budget plan. Take a minute to tell your senators today to vote NO on harmful cuts to Medicaid, food assistance and other vital human services. |
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Alabama Arise: Alabama Arise legislative toolkit
Alabama Arise’s new legislative toolkit is a resource designed to help you understand and engage in the legislative process. Most people recognize the vital role that voting plays in a democracy – even if they don’t vote. But fewer understand their ongoing role in shaping public policy. We hope this toolkit helps you recognize the influence you have to advocate for a better Alabama for all. |
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Alabama Political Reporter: Workers Memorial Day reminds us to remember the dead and fight for the living: op-ed
"Our state government has only one person tasked with enforcing child labor laws, despite the risks facing children in the workplace. That understaffing is even more shocking given that we know children have been found to be illegally working in dangerous conditions in Alabama," Arise's Adam Keller wrote in the Alabama Political Reporter in honor of Workers Memorial Day this week. |
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ABC 33/40, Birmingham: Alabama's rural hospitals face closure crisis, urgent solutions needed
"When a rural hospital or clinic closes, it closes for everyone. As these facilities disappear, so do health care options for people in rural areas across Alabama, putting lives at risk and devastating local economies. Alabama can and should act now to protect rural health care access by closing the health coverage gap through Medicaid expansion," Arise's Debbie Smith told ABC 33/40 in Birmingham. |
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Alabama Political Reporter: Alfa health plans move toward final Senate vote
"HB 477 would take us in the wrong direction by promoting unregulated plans that can deny coverage and leave families on the hook for devastating medical bills. We urge lawmakers to prioritize comprehensive, affordable coverage that truly meets the needs of our communities.” Arise's Debbie Smith told the Alabama Political Reporter. |
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WBRC 6, Birmingham: Birmingham mayor says state should allow gas tax revenue to be used to help fund public transit
"Alabama Arise, an advocacy group for people facing poverty, confirms a 1952 amendment makes it illegal for state gasoline tax revenue to go toward anything other than building and maintaining roads and bridges," WBRC 6 in Birmingham reported. |
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Alabama Channel: Live and recorded legislative meetings
The Alabama Channel is a searchable library of live and recorded videos of floor debates and committee meetings at the Alabama Legislature. It is a project of the League of Women Voters of Alabama Education Fund. |
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Alabama Arise
P.O. Box 1188, Montgomery, Alabama 36101
(334) 832-9060 · [email protected]
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