| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | WBRC Fox 6, Birmingham: How much more money you could see in your pocket with SNAP benefits growing in October “It can make the difference between feeding your kids lunch or not. It can make a huge difference. The average SNAP benefit is just $1.50, $1.75 per meal per day. It is not, most of us can not feed our families well on what SNAP recipients get,” Arise's Carol Gundlach told WBRC Fox 6 in Birmingham.  Further reading: Fox 10, Mobile WAFF 48, Huntsville WSFA 12, Montgomery WTOK 11, Meridian, Miss. WTVY 4, Dothan |
| WAAY 31, Huntsville: 'Our moms and babies need these benefits': Shutdown would impact WIC program in North Alabama "Our moms and babies need these benefits." Arise's Carol Gundlach told WAAY 31 in Huntsville. "To lose this because Congress can't pass a budget is just very, very frustrating and very worrisome." Lawmakers passed a temporary funding bill to keep the federal government open, but a shutdown remains possible next month. Further reading: WAFF 48, Huntsville WBRC Fox 6, Birmingham WTVM 9, Columbus, Ga. |
| Marketplace: Why do some states still have a grocery tax? “When you’re talking to people who are living below or right around the poverty line, every dollar matters,” Arise’s Chris Sanders told Marketplace. “Taxing their food — something that’s a necessity — in my view, that’s immoral. That is a bad choice by the state, and we can and should make better choices.” |
| | | Arise’s Carol Gundlach explained the new grocery tax law in a recent op-ed. "The new state grocery tax reduction will combat hunger and make it easier for Alabama families to afford food. And eventually eliminating the rest of the state grocery tax would help even more. Alabama Arise is committed to continue working to untax groceries responsibly and sustainably in future legislative sessions," Gundlach wrote in the Alabama Political Reporter. |
| ABC 33/40, Birmingham: Cover Alabama discusses Medicaid expansion as home care company announces departure "I think you are going to see more things like this. You're going to see more agencies close their doors. I think it's possible more hospitals will close their doors, unfortunately," Arise’s Debbie Smith told ABC 33/40 in Birmingham. "We've seen rural hospital closures. There were eight rural hospital closures since 2010. We know that in states where they have Medicaid expansion, that's a lot less likely."  |
| AL.com: 22,000 Alabamians lost Medicaid coverage in July AL.com talked to Arise's Jennifer Harris about Alabama's Medicaid "unwinding" process. "Harris said Medicaid eligibility in Alabama is 'very prohibitive.' For example, she said two adults and one child with an income of more than $373 per month (or $4,476 per year) are ineligible for Medicaid. The income eligibility requirements for a family of three are approximately $3,025 monthly if a woman is pregnant," AL.com reporter Williesha Morris wrote. |
| Public News Service: Experts: Medicaid expansion vital for Alabama's health, economy "We've had about eight rural hospitals close since 2010," Arise's Debbie Smith told the Public News Service. "A recent report commissioned by the Alabama Hospital Association also shows that 33% of rural hospitals are at immediate risk of closure, with 50% of rural hospitals being at closure total." |
| Alabama Public Radio: New report: Medicaid expansion would help Alabama workforce and economy “Folks that work at fast food restaurants, for instance, they may have an offer to purchase health insurance coverage from their employer. But if that is $700 a month or more to purchase, and you're only making $11 an hour, then obviously that's going to be out of reach for you,” Arise's Debbie Smith told Alabama Public Radio. “But if we were to expand Medicaid and close the coverage gap in Alabama, then those folks might actually have access to Medicaid coverage and health coverage.” |
| Alabama Reflector: The Fee Trap: Why Alabama’s local governments can’t shake fines and charges “Because of our upside-down tax system, a lot of our government agencies, and especially the ones that have a lot of interaction with the public, like the Department of Corrections and the court systems, disproportionately interact with low-income folks,” Arise's Mike Nicholson told the Alabama Reflector. Further reading: Alabama Reflector |
| | "Our members are our strength, those voices united speaking out for the policy changes we want to see … in Alabama," Arise’s Presdelane Harris told WSFA 12 in Montgomery before our Annual Meeting last weekend.  |
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| Alabama Arise
P.O. Box 1188, Montgomery, Alabama 36101 (334) 832-9060 · [email protected] |
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