A statewide, member-led nonprofit organization advancing public policies to improve the lives of Alabamians who are marginalized by poverty is recommending a plan of action for local lawmakers.
The 2025 roadmap for change in Alabama from Alabama Arise has expanding Medicaid and ending the state sales tax on groceries as top goals on the legislative agenda.
The organization says it will also advocate for state funds to help public schools provide free breakfast to every student.
“Alabama Arise believes in dignity, equity and justice for everyone,” Alabama Arise executive director Robyn Hyden said. “Our 2025 legislative priorities would empower Alabamians of every race, income and background to reach their full potential. And they reflect our members’ commitment to building a healthier, more just and more inclusive Alabama for all.”
More than 450 members voted in the last week to affirm Arise’s legislative priorities. The seven priorities chosen include:
- Adequate budgets for human services, including expanding Medicaid to make health coverage affordable for all Alabamians, supporting universal free breakfast in public schools and ensuring equitable public education funding for all students.
- Tax reform to build a more just and sustainable revenue system, including eliminating the rest of Alabama’s state sales tax on groceries and replacing the revenue equitably.
- Voting rights, including no-excuse early voting, removal of barriers to voting rights restoration for disenfranchised Alabamians, and other policies to protect and expand multiracial democracy.
- Criminal justice reform, including legislation to improve Alabama’s parole system and efforts to reduce overreliance on exorbitant fines and fees as a revenue source.
- Maternal and infant health investments to advance the health and safety of Alabama families, including legislation to ensure paid parental leave for state employees and teachers.
- Public transportation to empower Alabamians with low incomes to stay connected to work, school, health care and their communities.
- Death penalty reform, including a law to apply Alabama’s ban on judicial overrides of jury sentencing verdicts retroactively to people sentenced to death row under this now-illegal policy.
More information on the 2025 roadmap for change in Alabama plan from Alabama Arise can be found here.
