FAIRHOPE — Alabama Arise along with the Baldwin County Chapter of the NAACP held a community meeting in Fairhope on Monday night to discuss topical issues and the state of both Alabama and the country.

With Alabama's 2025 legislative session on the horizon, many gathered at Fairhope Unitarian Fellowship to discuss issues that are affecting Alabamians and what people can do to make their voices heard in the area. Topics that were discussed during the panel included Medicaid expansion, voting rights and what to expect from the upcoming legislative session.

"We have a lot of stuff that we need to work on and get done," said Alan Barnett, president of NAACP Baldwin County.

MEDICAID EXPANSION AND MATERNAL/INFANT CARE

Carol Motley, a doctor and specialist from Family Medicine in Foley, said there is an urgent need to expand Medicaid in Alabama while also highlighting issues surrounding infant care.

Motley recounted an experience with a pregnant woman who did not qualify for Medicaid. Her baby was born with several deformities, and it was later discovered the mother had syphilis. Motley said the matter could have been prevented if the mother had access to proper care.

Alabama is one of 10 states without Medicaid expansion. A provision in a gambling bill filed last year would have allowed the Legislature to fund "rural health care" programs similar to it, and the measure was approved by the House, but it was struck down by the Senate.

In December, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Alabama pitched its ALLHealth plan, which would provide private health insurance to an eligible 330,000 citizens that wouldn't be able to afford it on their own, though state legislatures have been cautious about the proposal. The Trump administration has also suggested cutting down on the federal government's involvement and contribution to Medicaid expansion.

On Jan. 28, President Donald Trump paused all federal grants and loans, which could have a direct impact on Medicaid funding, which covers about 70 million people. The freeze itself was on pause as of later Tuesday after a federal judge put a hold on the executive order.

Motley warned that if federal funding is cut, many services will also have to be cut, which is something residents should be aware of as Medicaid expansion in Alabama continues to be discussed.

VOTING RIGHTS

Dev Wakeley, who serves as a Worker Policy Advocate for Alabama Arise, discussed voting rights in Alabama, saying there has been a sustained pattern of attacks on voting rights at the state level.

"There's a cadre of legislators who gin up fake stories about voter fraud that doesn't occur in any significant numbers at all, and they know better, but they still introduce these laws to make it tougher to vote," Wakeley said.

Despite the sentiment, Wakeley said progress on voting rights is being made at the state level. Wakeley mentioned a bill by Sen. Linda Coleman-Madison (D-Madison) in the upcoming legislative session that would improve and streamline the process of reentering residents who are trying to register to vote.

"That bill would basically take the burden on the return that's currently on the returning citizen and shift it to the administrative agency itself," Wakeley said. "That would make things significantly smoother and would, in some cases, really inform people of their renewed eligibility to vote who may not know that they can go through this process currently, so we think that there's a significant possibility to move that forward."

The bill has moved around in the state legislature before, but he said there is optimism about it this year as the new legislative session draws near.

TAKING ACTION

David Stout, legislative director for Alabama Arise, went into detail on the legislative process as well as the mindset of legislators, urging those in attendance to be informed and participate and noting that public hearings will come up for citizens to take advantage of.

Tara Bailey, representing the League of women Voters of Alabama, was also present to inform guests of Alabama Channel, a database of state legislative meetings that are recorded and archived online, all searchable by transcript. Since its inception in 2022, over 800 videos have been recorded, receiving over 72,000 direct views.

Each guest was also given a packet with information such as detailed summaries of political topics, legislative dates and contact information for the Baldwin County Legislative Delegation, along with instructions for how to contact local legislators.

"There are a lot of not good things going on, but you have your voice," said Pres Harris, organizing director for Alabama Arise. "You can use you it, and it can help make a difference. … Over 38 years of being around, we've seen some devasting losses, but we've also seen some incredible wins, none of which would have happened if we'd given up and not continue to keep on [going]."

The 2025 legislative session begins Feb. 4.