Alabama Arise has an agenda that the group labels a “grown-up wish list for Alabama,” and it’s a good one. Unfortunately, it would take a miracle for their list to be successful in the Alabama Legislature. But the folks at Arise say they believe that behind many “miracles” stand caring, compassionate folks who have acted on their convictions to help build a better world. So Arise Citizens’ Policy Project has its own “grownup wish list” for Alabama in the coming year:
- Strong investments in education, health care and other public services that lay the foundation for a strong economy.
- A tax system that requires everyone to pay a reasonable share of the cost of those investments.
- Debt collection exemptions that help low-income Alabamians regain financial stability after a judgment.
- Reforms to make Alabama’s capital punishment system fairer.
- More transparency in the state’s process for setting utility rates.
- A chance for low-income people who have served their time and turned their lives around after a drug crime to regain their eligibility for food assistance.
- New, reasonable caps on the high cost of loans that currently carry triple-digit annual interest rates.
It is rather interesting and perhaps telling when one compares this list with those of our two political parties. The majority of Alabamians – I believe – would support most of this agenda set out above. Hopefully, there are enough legislators who will at least consider the agenda. They might be surprised – if they adopted it – how folks back in their respective districts would react.
Source: Alabama Arise New Release
