A note from Arise's executive director Robyn Hyden:
The Alabama Legislature’s 2025 regular session ended last week. This was a triumphant year for Alabama Arise, with big wins on the grocery tax, maternal and infant health, paid parental leave and more. But our fight is not over. The U.S. House is seeking to vote this week on making massive cuts to health care and food assistance for struggling families to finance huge tax breaks for the wealthiest households. Please use the links below to take action and learn more about how you can oppose this harmful proposal.
This email normally only goes to Arise members, but we want to ensure that as many people as possible contact their federal lawmakers about this crucial legislation. To receive these emails weekly through the legislative session, become an Arise member today at alarise.org/donate. Thank you for helping us build a better Alabama for all!
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Arise Legislative Update: May 20, 2025
Arise's Robyn Hyden ties a bow on the Alabama Legislature's 2025 regular session by celebrating some of the numerous policy wins that our members made possible. These include: - Reducing the state sales tax on groceries.
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Ending the state sales tax on baby formula, diapers, maternity clothing and other items for women and infants.
- Expanding no-cost school breakfast for K-12 students.
- Ensuring paid parental leave for teachers, two-year college workers and state employees.
- Removing eligibility barriers to allow pregnant mothers to receive Medicaid coverage earlier in their pregnancy.
But now our advocacy shifts. Congress is moving fast to pass a budget bill that would raise costs for health care and food by making devastating cuts to Medicaid and SNAP. Join Alabama Arise, Cover Alabama and Hunger Free Alabama in speaking out against these harmful federal cuts. |
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Alabama Arise: Say NO to slashing Medicaid and food assistance!
It’s simple: We shouldn’t hurt people who are struggling to help people who are rich.
But the U.S. House right now is considering budget legislation that would do exactly that. This proposal would make massive cuts to 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 today to tell your U.S. representative to vote NO on harmful cuts to Medicaid and food assistance. |
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Alabama Arise: Arise 2025 legislative session wrap-up
Alabama’s 2025 legislative session has been a busy one, with some wins worth celebrating, including a grocery tax reduction and good new laws on maternal health and paid parental leave. But also, unfortunately, some bad policies were passed.
Join us today at 6 p.m. to talk about what happened during the session and how our voices raised together in advocacy made an impact. We also will discuss next steps to keep moving our vision of a better Alabama forward! |
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Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy: Public dollars for public schools
The U.S. House’s tax plan would lead to a drastic increase in the amount of money redirected from public schools to private schools. Our national partners at the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy (ITEP) and other advocates will host a webinar on Thursday, May 22, at 9 a.m. to explain how this proposal would undermine tax justice and funding for our public schools. |
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Alabama Arise: People's Town Hall in Birmingham
Proposed federal cuts to Medicaid and SNAP would make life worse for thousands of families across our state. Alabama Arise and Birmingham Indivisible will co-host a town hall on Saturday, May 31, at 11 a.m. at East Lake United Methodist Church in Birmingham to educate people about this harmful proposal and how they can advocate to protect families. |
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Washington Post: Proposed GOP cuts could jeopardize SNAP users, farmers and state budgets
“States, especially poor states like Alabama, can’t pick up the commitment that Congress made to providing nutrition assistance,” Arise's Carol Gundlach told The Washington Post. |
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Alabama Political Reporter: Republican SNAP cuts threaten Alabama’s economy and food security
“I simply can’t imagine how we could do this. I spend my life watching the budgets and I have no idea, in a time of slightly declining revenues but also all kinds of other increased costs, how on Earth the General Fund could come up with that amount of money every year, year in and year out," Arise's Carol Gundlach told the Alabama Political Reporter. “I have no idea how Congress thinks people can feed their families if this bill passes.” |
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Alabama Reflector: Alabama postpartum depression bills fail but drive Medicaid policy changes
“One of the administrative changes they made was that the provider should be able to assess the needs for the patient, and if not, if it doesn’t meet the criteria of being the least costly, less evasive, medication first, then they’re able to prescribe that medication that the mother would need,” Arise's Jennifer Harris told the Alabama Reflector. |
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WHNT 19, Huntsville: State sales tax on diapers, formula, feminine hygiene products ends Sept. 1
“I think whoever is governing in our state or in D.C., they’re going to have to make the case that they have meaningfully helped their voters,” Arise’s Robyn Hyden told WHNT 19 in Huntsville. The enactment of HB 152 this year is an important step in that direction. |
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Luverne Journal: Grocery tax bill to improve Alabamians’ lives
“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,” Arise’s Robyn Hyden told The Luverne Journal. |
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Bills we watched:
Adequate state budgets -
HB 177 by Rep. Ben Robbins, R-Sylacauga, as originally filed, would have created new Medicaid eligibility barriers that would have led to thousands of Alabama children losing health coverage. HB 177 passed a House committee but never came before the full House. Alabama Arise opposed HB 177.
SB 113 by Sen. Arthur Orr, R-Decatur, is the FY 2025 Education Trust Fund appropriations bill, which includes $17.3 million for school breakfast expansion and continues to fund Summer EBT. Gov. Kay Ivey has signed SB 113 into law. Alabama Arise supported the child nutrition funding in SB 113. -
SB 245 by Sen. Arthur Orr, R-Decatur, would have prohibited Medicaid presumptive eligibility for expectant mothers and required monthly eligibility determinations for both Medicaid and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). SB 245 passed a Senate committee but never came before the full Senate. Alabama Arise opposed SB 245.
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SB 246 by Sen. Arthur Orr, R-Decatur, would have imposed new stringent asset verification requirements that would deny food assistance to many SNAP participants with low incomes, including older adults and disabled Alabamians. SB 246 passed a Senate committee but never came before the full Senate. Alabama Arise opposed SB 246.
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SB 305 by Sen. Arthur Orr, R-Decatur, known as the RAISE Act, will provide additional funding for schools with disproportionate numbers of special education students, English language learners or students from households with low incomes. Gov. Kay Ivey has signed SB 305 into law. Alabama Arise supported SB 305.
Criminal justice reform -
HB 40 by Rep. Chris England, D-Tuscaloosa, would have created additional oversight of the parole board, required the board to follow its own guidelines and allowed appellate review of parole denials. HB 40 passed a House committee but never came before the full House. Alabama Arise supported HB 40.
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HB 43 by Rep. Jim Hill, R-Moody, will allow judges to impose a split sentence on an offender sentenced to 30 years of imprisonment or less, up from the current 20 years or less. Gov. Kay Ivey has signed HB 43 into law. Alabama Arise supported HB 43.
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SB 138 by Sen. Rodger Smitherman, D-Birmingham, will reduce restrictions for people with a past felony conviction to obtain some occupational licenses. Gov. Kay Ivey has signed SB 138 into law. Alabama Arise supported SB 138.
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SB 156 by Sen. Will Barfoot, R-Pike Road, would have allowed people sentenced to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole under the state Habitual Felony Offender Act to apply for resentencing in some circumstances. SB 156 passed the Senate and a House committee but never came before the full House. Alabama Arise supported SB 156.
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SB 157 by Sen. Will Barfoot, R-Pike Road, would have allowed people who are incarcerated to participate virtually in their parole hearings. SB 157 passed a Senate committee but never came before the full Senate. Alabama Arise supported SB 157.
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SB 324 by Sen. Clyde Chambliss, R-Prattville, would have increased the number of state parole board members and set deadlines for reconsideration of parole denials. SB 324 passed the Senate and a House committee but never came before the full House. Alabama Arise supported SB 324.
Health care -
HB 477 by Rep. David Faulkner, R-Mountain Brook, will authorize unregulated health plans that could cap benefits for enrollees and charge higher premiums or deny coverage based on preexisting conditions. Gov. Kay Ivey has signed HB 477 into law. Alabama Arise opposed HB 477.
Maternal and infant health -
HB 138 by Rep. Rolanda Hollis, D-Birmingham, would have allowed some pregnant women sentenced to incarceration to serve a term of supervised probation during their pregnancy and up to 12 weeks after childbirth. HB 138 passed a House committee but never came before the full House. Alabama Arise supported HB 138.
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HB 322 by Rep. Frances Holk-Jones, R-Foley, and SB 191 by Sen. Vivian Figures, D-Mobile, would have improved Medicaid coverage for women facing postpartum depression. HB 322 passed the House but died in a Senate committee. SB 191 passed a Senate committee but did not pass the full Senate. Alabama Arise supported HB 322 and SB 191.
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SB 102 by Sen. Linda Coleman-Madison, D-Birmingham, will expand health care access for thousands of mothers by allowing them to receive Medicaid coverage earlier in their pregnancy. Gov. Kay Ivey has signed SB 102 into law. Alabama Arise supported SB 102.
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SB 199 by Sen. Vivian Figures, D-Mobile, will ensure paid parental leave for new parents who work as teachers, two-year college workers or state employees starting July 1. Gov. Kay Ivey has signed SB 199 into law. Alabama Arise supported SB 199.
Public transportation - SB 11 by Sen. Linda Coleman-Madison, D-Birmingham, would have added $5 to vehicle tag fees to fund public transportation in Alabama. SB 11 narrowly lost a Senate committee vote. Alabama Arise supported SB 11.
Tax reform -
HB 152 by Rep. Neil Rafferty, D-Birmingham, will exempt diapers, baby supplies, baby formula, maternity clothing and women’s hygiene products from the state sales tax starting Sept. 1. Gov. Kay Ivey has signed HB 152 into law. Alabama Arise supported HB 152.
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HB 386 by Rep. Danny Garrett, R-Trussville, will reduce the state sales tax on groceries from 3% to 2% starting Sept. 1 and will give cities and counties more flexibility to reduce local sales taxes on groceries. Gov. Kay Ivey has signed HB 386 into law. Alabama Arise supported HB 386.
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HB 389 by Rep. Danny Garrett, R-Trussville, would have increased the standard deduction and dependent exemption from the state income tax for households with low and moderate incomes. HB 389 passed the House and a Senate committee but never came before the full Senate. Alabama Arise supported HB 389.
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SB 22 by Sen. Merika Coleman, D-Pleasant Grove, would have allowed the state to remove tax incentives from companies that violate child labor laws. SB 22 passed the Senate and a House committee but never came before the full House. Alabama Arise supported SB 22.
Voting rights -
SB 153 by Sen. Linda Coleman-Madison, D-Birmingham, would have required that people eligible for restoration of their voting rights be informed of the process for restoration and that the Secretary of State be notified when voting rights have been restored. SB 153 passed the Senate and a House committee but never came before the full House. Alabama Arise supported SB 153.
Other issues -
HB 7 by Rep. Ernie Yarbrough, R-Trinity, would have undermined civil liberties and increased the potential for racial profiling and wrongful detention of immigrants. HB 7 passed the House and a Senate committee but never came before the full Senate. Alabama Arise opposed HB 7.
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HB 29 by Rep. Ed Oliver, R-Dadeville, would have increased the number of employers that people receiving unemployment insurance benefits must contact to remain eligible for benefits. HB 29 passed the House and a Senate committee but never came before the full Senate. Alabama Arise opposed HB 29.
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HB 302 by Rep. Ben Robbins, R-Sylacauga, would have imposed registration, reporting and other restrictions on entities that provide financial support or sponsorship to immigrant workers. HB 302 passed the House and a Senate committee but never came before the full House. Alabama Arise opposed HB 302.
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SB 53 by Sen. Wes Kitchens, R-Arab, will create the crime of “human smuggling” for certain people who transport undocumented immigrants into Alabama and require local law enforcement to seek to determine the immigration status of many people who have been arrested. Gov. Kay Ivey has signed SB 53 into law. Alabama Arise opposed SB 53.
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Alabama Arise
P.O. Box 1188, Montgomery, Alabama 36101
(334) 832-9060 · [email protected]
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