Arise's next Membership Monday is April 12

Membership Mondays are an opportunity for Alabama Arise members to network and get more energized in our work together. In these online sessions, members will get the latest updates on the legislative session. Then they will break into groups to talk to other Arise members around the state. The next event is next Monday, April 12, at 6 p.m. via Zoom. If you aren’t yet an Arise member, please join our movement for as little as $15 today.

New York Times: ‘All hands on deck’: When vaccinating Black people is a communal effort

Years of budget cuts and failure to expand Medicaid undermined Alabama’s ability to fight the COVID-19 pandemic. “Our approach to rural health care has been shameful,” Jim Carnes tells The New York Times. He also makes the case for prioritizing rural homebound patients in the state’s vaccine rollout. This article highlights the inequities in Alabama’s health care and the solutions that advocates, residents, lawmakers and medical professionals are using to vaccinate Black communities.

WHNT: CDC figures show Alabama last in U.S. in vaccinations

Alabama’s Black communities remain disproportionately unvaccinated. Jim Carnes identifies the need for stronger data collection from vaccinations. “25% of the vaccines delivered so far have not had racial data attached,” he tells WHNT 19 in Huntsville. “What lies behind that 25% unreported number, we don’t know.”

See also:

• CBS 42, Birmingham 
• WKRG 5, Mobile 
• WRBL 3, Columbus, Ga. 

Scalawag: Alabama taxpayers have paid $4 billion toward a policy that Governor Ivey refuses to bring home

WBHM: Will Alabama and Mississippi expand Medicaid to low-income adults this time around?

Jane Adams breaks down the Alabama tax dollars going toward health care in other states and explains why exactly now is such an ideal opportunity to save lives by expanding Medicaid. The new federal incentive in the American Rescue Plan Act is “the best deal that we’ve ever been offered, better than any other deal that’s been offered to us on Medicaid expansion,” she tells WBHM 90.3 in Birmingham.

See also:

• Birmingham Watch 

Bills we're watching

• HB 168 by Rep. Danny Garrett, R-Trussville, requires a county health officer to obtain written approval from the state health officer before issuing an order addressing a pandemic. HB 168 will be considered on the House floor on Tuesday, April 6. Arise opposes HB 168.
• HB 351 by Rep. Arnold Mooney, R-Birmingham, prohibits the governor from changing election laws during an emergency during the six-month period prior to an election. HB 351 will be considered in the House Constitution, Campaigns and Elections Committee on Wednesday, April 7. Arise opposes HB 351.
• SB 46 by Sen. Tim Melson, R-Florence, legalizes and taxes medical marijuana. SB 46 will be considered in the House Judiciary Committee on Wednesday, April 7. Arise has no position on SB 46 but is monitoring the distribution of tax revenue should the bill become law.
• SB 97 by Sen. Tom Whatley, R-Auburn, restricts the authority of the governor and state health officer during a pandemic emergency. SB 97 passed in the Senate on Thursday and goes next to the House Health Committee for consideration. Arise opposes SB 97

Alabama Arise tracks legislation related to our members' interests. You can find our Bills of Interest here.