An Alabama nonprofit has unveiled an agenda calling for policy changes in the state. Alabama Arise works to improve the lives of Alabamians who are marginalized by poverty. The organization’s 2024 Roadmap for Change contains seven legislative changes that its policy workers will focus on next year.
The main two focuses of the roadmap are Medicaid expansion and abolishing the state’s sales tax on groceries. The group saw success last session when the grocery tax bill was passed.
Robyn Hyden, executive director of Alabama Arise, said that the plan for 2024 comes directly from its members and what they believe is important in addressing poverty in the state.
“One of the unique things about Alabama Arise, is that our members come from all across the state to meet every year to determine our legislative priorities for the next year,” she explained. “All of our members are united in our belief that charity is important to address poverty, but to truly get to some of the root causes of poverty, we have to address public policy.”
The Alabama Arise 2024 Roadmap for Change in Alabama consist of topics ranging from budgets suggestions to death penalty reform. Hyden said the goals can be short term or can take serval years to accomplish. Here are some of the policies that the organization will be looking at in 2024:
Expanding Medicaid: Alabama Arise is continuing its pursuit for expanding Medicaid. The state currently has a coverage gap of almost 300,000 people. These are residents who earn too much money to qualify for Medicaid but are unable to afford a private health insurance.
According to research from the Public Affairs Research Council of Alabama (PARCA), Medicaid expansion would cost Alabama an average of $22.54 million per year, but the expansion would require that the federal government pay $397.88 million in yearly expenses that are currently paid by the state.
“Currently, Alabama is leaving millions of dollars of federal funds on the table, which are really going to fund expanding health care services and other surrounding states,” said Hyden. “We want [legislators] to know how easy it would be, and how beneficial it would be, to opt in to expanding Medicaid eligibility to cover over 300,000 of our friends and neighbors.”
Demolishing the State Grocery Tax: Another legislative priority for Alabama Arise in 2024 will be to cut the state grocery tax. Each year, Alabamians with low incomes struggle the make ends meet. The tax on food makes it harder for these families to get the necessities that they need.
In September, HB479 reduced the tax on food from 4% to 3% there will be another reduction of 1% in September 2024. That’s if the Education Trust Fund (EFT) revenue have grown. Alabama Arise said that this will save Alabamians the equivalent of about a week’s worth of groceries every year.
Alabama is one of the 13 states that continue to tax groceries. Although the extra cost goes toward education, Alabama Arise said lawmakers are able to cut taxes and fund schools by limiting or ending the state income tax deduction for federal income taxes (FIT). This deduction benefits the states wealthiest households.
Hyden said she is hopeful that state lawmakers will continue to reduce the grocery tax, but she still wants to see the tax go away completely.
“Parents and working families are having to make that tough choice to not get an extra gallon of milk, an extra loaf of bread or having to literally pinch every penny and stretch,” she explained. “So, we think that a great way to immediately infuse more money to our economy and help struggling families would be to remove the remaining 2% of the state grocery tax.”
Voting Rights Reform: Voting in Alabama is not always fair and accessible for everyone. For example, some residents are unable to get off work or find transportation to the polls. The absentee application is not the most effective way to ensure that all Alabamians are able to cast their vote either. The process can be confusing, and restrictions make it easier for folks to not vote altogether. Hyden said she would like to see a change in Alabama’s absentee voting process.
Voting registration is another action that discourages voting. Alabama Arise is calling for automatic universal voter registration, which would make it easier to vote and increase rates of voting.
People who were convicted of certain felonies or owe fine, court cost and fees are not eligible to vote. A priority for Alabama Arise will be to analyze these barriers and consider policy solutions that strengthen civic engagement.
“We need to make it more accessible to restore those voting rights,” said Hyden. “We feel like we don't actually have a fair and inclusive election process. There are steps the state could take to help restore those voting rights to people who can pay any restitution or fines and fees that are owed, but also be able to participate as full citizens after they have paid their debt to society.”
Death Penalty Reform and Criminal Justice Reform: After the state outlawed judicial override in capital cases in 2017, 35 inmates who were recommended life without parole by a jury still sit on Death Row. According to Alabama Arise, this is one of many injustices that lie within state prisons.
While Alabama has the nation’s highest rate of executions, Alabama Arise said that the system is full of error. For every 10 people executed since 1976, one innocent person on Death Row has been set free. To reform Alabama’s capital punishment system, Alabama Arise says that legislative should:
· Make the 2017 judicial override ban retroactive.
· Require unanimous agreement from the jury to sentence people to death.
· Amend state law to require prosecutors to prove a defendant was 18 or older at the time of the crime.
· Amend state law to forbid executions of people who have serious cognitive impairments.
· Impose a moratorium to study and end racially biased death penalty practices.
· Provide state funding for appeals of death sentences, as all other states with capital punishment do.
· Ultimately eliminate capital punishment.
Hyden said one of the key issues that she recognizes within the criminal justice system is how fines are being used to punish lower-income Alabamians. She said cities and counties are ticketing and criminalizing minor offenses with heavier fines.
The organization saw progress last session when a bill for restoring driver’s license access to people who have lost their license due to past due fines was restored.
“That was a great step forward, but we see other areas in which people get caught in this trap of having to pay fine after fine. They're unable to dig their way out,” said Hyden.
Another concern the organization has is the large amount of funding being spent to build prisons in the state. This September, the state spent $1 billion to build a new super-size prison.
“The state is spending more than $1 billion, but we're repeatedly told that we don't have enough money to provide basic state services, like improving access to health care, investing more in mental health or crisis response services, investing in childcare or improving our schools,” said Hyden. “We think that this is not a good reflection of the values that most Alabamians have.”
The Alabama Arise 2024 Roadmap for Change in Alabama was determined and voted on by more than 500 members of the organization. The nonprofit will also pursue advancements in maternal and infant health care and funding for public transportation. Hyden said much time is spent on issues in Congress, and Alabama residents can advocate for change at their Capitol in Montgomery.
“We believe that it's important for everyday Alabamians to be engaged in conversations about state policy. A lot of our attention tends to focus on Washington, DC, and what Congress is doing, or the dysfunction of Congress. And yes, Congress passes really important laws and makes spending decisions all the time that we care about,” she said. “But the truth is, that so much of the power about how those federal funds are spent, still resides here in Montgomery.”
For more information on Alabama Arise and its 2024 roadmap, visit the organization’s website.
