Alabama Arise is entering the 2026 Legislative Session with a broad agenda focused on hunger, health care access, education funding, voting rights and economic security for working families, shaped by both state-level priorities and recent changes in federal law, particularly the passage of the federal spending and tax package known as HR1.
Speaking ahead of the session, Alabama Arise legislative director David Stout said it is difficult to predict exactly how the session will unfold because scheduling decisions are made privately among legislative leaders. Still, lawmakers are expected to move quickly this year and to end the session early so members can campaign ahead of the May 19 primaries.
A central priority for Alabama Arise this year is expanding access to free school meals. Hunger policy advocate LaTrell Wood said last year’s $7.3 million appropriation for no-cost school breakfast was the first of its kind in Alabama and has already produced measurable results, with more than two million additional breakfasts served statewide so far this school year. Wood said five more school systems have begun offering no-cost meals through the federal Community Eligibility Provision, bringing the total to 48 systems and 481 schools and reaching more than 200,000 children.
Wood said the organization is now advocating for a permanent $14.4 million annual appropriation in the Education Trust Fund, enabling all schools participating in the National School Lunch Program to offer breakfast at no cost to students. Schools that opt out of the federal lunch program would not be included.
Arise will continue its push to eliminate Alabama’s grocery sales tax after last year’s reduction to two cents per dollar. At the same time, Arise is opposing legislation such as HB31 that would restrict what foods can be purchased with SNAP benefits. Wood said the proposal would require the Department of Human Resources to prohibit the purchase of soda, energy drinks, candy and processed desserts.
This legislation would increase administrative costs, burden retailers with new compliance requirements, stigmatize recipients and destabilize the way the state defines food for tax purposes. She said the bill is framed as a health measure but functions instead as a tool to control and undermine SNAP recipients and could have ripple effects across the state’s food system.
Alabama Arise said it is continuing to advocate for Medicaid expansion, protections for maternal health and rural access to care, and for the passage of a right-to-contraception bill expected to be introduced by Rep. Marilyn Lands. The group is also building on last year’s passage of presumptive eligibility for pregnant women, which allows women to access Medicaid coverage more quickly during pregnancy.
On voting and criminal justice, Alabama Arise supports legislation that would require state agencies, such as the Secretary of State’s Office, the Bureau of Pardons and Paroles and the Department of Corrections, to post clear information about how people with felony convictions can restore their voting rights. The group is also preparing to oppose what it describes as racially charged voting restrictions and attacks on voter assistance groups.
The organization plans to push for criminal justice reforms, including ending judicial override in death penalty cases, expanding compassionate release and supervised release options, and increasing accountability at the Board of Pardons and Paroles. Dev Wakeley, worker policy advocate, criticized the board’s new guidelines, saying they allow the board to avoid making clear recommendations and to effectively retry original offenses rather than focus on rehabilitation and readiness for release.
“We should not be retrying these cases when considering whether folks are ready for release. But the new guidelines, in fact, do so and do so with a stacked deck, unfortunately. So we’re hoping to provide increased accountability in the long run in that respect for the board and to provide sensible, common-sense, forward-looking, rehabilitation-minded justice policy,” said Wakeley.
Worker protections are another major focus this year. Alabama Arise leaders said Alabama’s economic model has long prioritized corporate interests over worker well-being, contributing to lower wages, worse health outcomes and shorter life expectancy for Alabamians compared to other states. The organization plans to advocate for expanding paid family and medical leave beyond state employees, strengthening protections for temporary workers and clawing back tax incentives from companies that violate labor laws.
“Working Alabamians are the heart of our economy. Improving working conditions and empowering workers will build a better, more vibrant future for everyone. A better Alabama is possible, but it’s gonna take a lot of people power,” said worker power campaign coordinator, Adam Keller.
Throughout the session, Alabama Arise leaders emphasized the importance of public participation in the legislative process. Stout encouraged members to build relationships with their legislators, engage early on proposed bills, attend committee hearings, invite lawmakers into their communities and participate in advocacy days.
“Legislators respond to people they know,” said Stout. “You don’t have to be a professional advocate to have influence. You just have to be willing to show up, know the facts and speak up.”
