June 2024 | Vol. 27, No. 2

The Arise Report - June 2024

This is an electronic version of the June newsletter that will be mailed to Alabama Arise members.

Join or renew your Arise membership today to ensure you get the next print edition in your mailbox!

Click here to check out the full online version.

Summer EBT, Legislative Day energy highlight busy, tough 2024 session in Alabama

You made a difference! Alabama Arise members played a decisive role this year in securing summer food assistance for more than 500,000 children starting in summer 2025. Summer EBT funding brought an uplifting conclusion to the Alabama Legislature’s 2024 regular session, which ended May 9.

Lawmakers dealt setbacks to several Arise legislative priorities this year but made important progress on others. Through it all, our members kept speaking out for policies to improve the lives of Alabamians marginalized by poverty.

Town Hall Tuesdays, Annual Meeting highlight upcoming Arise events

Arise depends on what we hear to help guide our work toward a better Alabama. That’s why our virtual Town Hall Tuesdays return this year. These events are a chance for you to receive updates and share your vision for our 2025 priorities.

Join us online July 16 and Aug. 6. Click "register" below to learn more and sign up!

Annual Meeting: Save the date 

Mark your calendars for Arise’s Annual Meeting, online and at The Legacy Annex in Montgomery from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 28. Member groups can submit 2025 issue proposals until Aug. 9 at 11:59 p.m. CDT. We’ll share more details about the meeting and issue proposal process soon.

Maternal health hits home

Arise executive director Robyn Hyden discusses how maternal and infant health, which our members chose as a new legislative priority for the 2024 session, affected her personally with the recent birth of her son.

Summer EBT passage a hard-fought win for Alabama children

Alabama Arise members helped secure a policy change this year to reduce hunger for more than 500,000 children across the state. Beginning in summer 2025, eligible children ages 5-17 will receive $120 in Summer EBT benefits to continue to have school meals through the summer.

Building momentum for closing the coverage gap

Alabama Arise and the Cover Alabama coalition have built powerful momentum to expand Medicaid and close the state’s health coverage gap in recent months.

Arise held a news conference with our partners at the March of Dimes and Alabama Rural Health Association during our annual Legislative Day in April. The event highlighted how Medicaid expansion could improve infant and mortality rates in our state and keep rural hospitals open. More than 230 individuals from across the state attended and spoke up in support of the nearly 300,000 Alabamians who need health coverage.

CHOOSE Act set to undermine funding for Alabama public schools

The Alabama Legislature struck a major blow against public education this session by passing the CHOOSE Act. This law likely will drain hundreds of millions of dollars annually from public schools that have long struggled with underfunding. Alabama Arise testified twice against the bill, but conservative lawmakers moved quickly to enact it.

The act – HB 129 by Rep. Danny Garrett, R-Trussville – will divert at least $100 million every year from Alabama’s public schools. The law creates “education savings accounts” for parents to pay for private school or homeschooling.

LaTrell Clifford Wood: Arise’s new star at the State House

The halls of the Alabama State House had a new face this legislative session.

LaTrell Clifford Wood started as Alabama Arise’s hunger policy advocate in November. Since then, the Stillman College graduate has worked tirelessly to ensure Alabama’s most marginalized residents have access to food. In her role, she advocates directly with lawmakers for legislation that supports getting food to the Alabamians who need it most. She also convenes the Hunger Free Alabama coalition of 88 organizations.

As the youngest member of the Arise staff, LaTrell offered up insights after her first legislative session.

Consider Arise in long-term planning

Our long-term vision is a collective effort that requires members to give financially and take action. Your ongoing support, whether through a monthly or annual gift, helps us sustain our work year-round. We deeply appreciate your commitment.

Did you know you can help Arise secure its future beyond this year? There’s probably a type of gift that you haven’t considered: leaving us in your will.

We're hiring!

We’re grateful to former Arise policy and advocacy director Akiesha Anderson for her contributions to our work for the last two years. Akiesha has moved to live full time in Los Angeles with her husband and will work with Represent Justice, a national nonprofit and an Arise member group.

We're seeking a new policy and advocacy director to continue our work for dignity, equity and justice for Alabamians who are marginalized by poverty. The ideal candidate will be an experienced manager and public policy advocate who is passionate about justice, opportunity and racial equity.

Visit alarise.org/about/employment for more on the position and information on how to apply. Applications will be accepted until Monday, June 17, 2024, at 11:59 p.m. CDT.

Alabama Arise

P.O. Box 1188, Montgomery, Alabama 36101

(334) 832-9060  ·  [email protected]

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