Alabama Arise: New poll: Most Alabamians support plan to untax groceries, protect funding for public schools

Arise released a poll last week showing that nearly three in five Alabamians (59.3%), including 56.1% of Republican voters, support legislation that would remove the state sales tax on groceries without cutting education funding. “Legislators have a clear path to untax groceries without cutting a dime of funding for public schools. They should act now to seize this opportunity to improve life for families across our state," Arise's Robyn Hyden said.

Further Reading:

Alabama Political Reporter: Poll: Most Alabamians support plan to untax groceries, protect funding for public schools

AL.com: Advocates for low-income families call for Alabama to stop collecting sales tax on groceries 

Alabama’s 4% state grocery tax amounts to two weeks’ worth of food each year. “Imagine all those cartloads of food going into our state budget instead of to feed hungry families,” Arise’s Robyn Hyden tells al.com. “The tax on groceries is just plain wrong.”

WSFA: Advocates rally against Alabama’s tax on groceries 

"Food is the most basic of human needs," Arise board member Rev. Carolyn Foster said during our Untax Groceries Rally last week. WSFA 12 in Montgomery explains our plan to end the state grocery tax while protecting funding for public schools.

Further Reading:

Capitol Journal: March 18, 2022 (starts at 9:30 mark)

CBS 42: Alabama lawmakers consider repealing grocery tax

The support for eliminating the grocery tax comes from both sides of the aisle looking to ease the burden on working Alabamians. “We’re taking that food from hungry families. That could be around $500 for some families. They deserve to have that money to use it to feed their kids,” Arise's Robyn Hyden tells CBS 42 in Birmingham.

Further Reading:

WAAY 31: Lawmakers, activists hope to repeal Alabama's grocery tax this year

Capitol Journal: March 15, 2022 (starts at 6:02 mark)

Alabama Arise: Tell your state senator to untax groceries!

Please take a minute TODAY to urge your state senator to untax groceries by voting YES on SB 43 by Sen. Andrew Jones. Alabama's state sales tax on groceries is a cruel tax on survival. This tax drives struggling people deeper into poverty and makes it harder for families to make ends meet, particularly in these times of rising food prices. You can help end the tax on groceries and protect public schools by calling your state senator today and asking them to vote YES on SB 43.

Montgomery Advertiser: Kimble Forrister spent 27 years as executive director of Alabama Arise to help low-income people 

Always hopeful and always humble, Kimble Forrister laid the foundation for everything that Arise is and does today. We're thrilled to see the Montgomery Advertiser honor him as its March 2022 Community Hero.

Alabama Arise: LIVE BLOG: Alabama’s 2022 legislative session

Stay up to date with the 2022 legislative session. Our website has a live feed of Alabama Arise’s Twitter account, which will display information related to our 2022 issue priorities as well the latest news from our staff and members of the media.

Bills we're watching

• HB 135 by Rep. Danny Garrett, R-Trussville, is the Education Trust Fund budget that funds K-12 schools, pre-K, higher education and other education-related services. The House has passed HB 135, and the Senate Finance and Taxation Education Committee will consider it after this week’s spring break. Arise is monitoring HB 135.
• HB 200 by Rep. Merika Coleman, D-Pleasant Grove, and SB 117 by Sen. Will Barfoot, R-Montgomery, would end driver’s license suspensions for failure to pay fines and fees. The House Judiciary Committee approved HB 200 on Thursday. The Senate has passed SB 117, and the bill is in the House State Government Committee. Arise supports HB 200 and SB 117.
• HB 312 by Rep. Ed Oliver, R-Dadeville, would prohibit the teaching of “divisive concepts” in public schools. The House passed HB 312 on Thursday, and the bill is in the Senate Governmental Affairs Committee. Arise opposes HB 312.
• SB 19 by Sen. Arthur Orr, R-Decatur, would increase the standard deduction and the income cap for the maximum dependent exemption, thereby reducing income taxes for households with low and middle incomes. The Senate has passed SB 19, and the House Ways and Means Education Committee has approved it. Arise supports SB 19.
• SB 43 by Sen. Andrew Jones, R-Centre, would eliminate the state sales tax on groceries and replace the revenue by capping the state income tax deduction for federal income taxes. SB 43 is in the Senate Finance and Taxation Education Committee. Arise supports SB 43.
• SB 106 by Sen. Greg Albritton, R-Atmore, is the General Fund budget for Medicaid, mental health and other non-education public services. The Senate and House have passed different versions of SB 106 and sent the bill to a conference committee to resolve those differences. Arise is monitoring SB 106.