Alabama Arise

Arise envisions an Alabama:

Where all people have resources and opportunities to reach their potential to live happy, productive lives, and each successive generation is ensured a secure and healthy future.

Where all government leaders are responsive, inclusive and justice-serving, and the people are engaged in the policy-making process.

Where all people live with concern for the common good and respect for the humanity of every person.

Our long-term policy goals:

1. A fair, adequate and simple state tax system

2. A restorative rather than a punitive criminal justice system (including death penalty abolition)

3. A state constitution that reflects our core values

4. A state budget that provides adequate services (such as education, child care, health care and transportation) for low-income people

5. Wages, benefits and policies that provide economic security for all working people in the state

6. Safe, affordable, accessible and adequate housing for all Alabamians

Arise uses three kinds of activities to promote fairer state policies toward low-income Alabamians:

1. Policy analysis: The Arise policy team studies current state policies and legislative proposals and analyzes their impact on people living in poverty.

2 Statewide organizing: Arise believes low-income people deserve a voice in the development of public policies that affect their lives. Organizers work to develop member groups across the state, facilitate listening sessions, provide education on state policies and convene coalitions to discuss needed policy changes.

3. Citizen advocacy: Arise works to equip its members for active participation in the democratic process, including legislative advocacy. We employ a legislative coordinator through our 501(c)(4).

With a 35-year track record of success, Arise has proven that policy analysis, citizen advocacy and statewide organizing are 3 key components in promoting social change.

Arise relies upon 150 member groups (including civic, faith-based and nonprofit organizations), and over 1,700 individual members, to provide guidance on our state policy agenda. A team of policy analysts provide background research, while our legislative coordinator, organizers and communications team create campaigns to achieve the identified goals.

1. Raising the income tax exemption level for low-income Alabamians in 2006.

2. Passage of Alabama's first landlord-tenant law in 2006.

3. Passage of the Housing Trust Fund in 2012.

4. Removing the barrier for formerly incarcerated people to receive SNAP benefits in 2016.

5. Ending judicial override in death penalty cases in 2017.

6. Expanding voting rights by clearly defining crimes of moral turpitude in 2017.

7. Passage of the Public Transit Trust Fund in 2018.

8. Creating the Civil Asset Forfeiture database in 2019.

9. Passing the civil asset forfeiture reform bill and the broadband authority bill in 2021.

10. Expanding Medicaid coverage to one full year of post-partum coverage for new moms in 2022.