Welcome to our February Newsletter! With a full month into the 2022 legislative session, we have some important updates to share about civil rights and civil liberties in Alabama.
This Month: 2022 Legislative Session Continues
The session officially started on January 11, but several of our priority bills have just started moving in the Legislature.
- House Bill 2, which seeks to create new criminal penalties to target protesters, passed out of House Judiciary Committee on February 9 after a contentious public hearing was held on February 2. We strongly oppose this bill and will consider legal action should it pass. The bill will now head to the full House.
- House Bill 57, which would strengthen the Legislature's oversight over Alabama's parole board, was also passed out of House Judiciary Committee on February 9. We support this bill due to data that shows that Alabama's Board of Pardons and Paroles conforms to their own guidelines in only 32% of its cases. That means the other 68% of its decisions go against their own recommendations of whether to grant or deny parole. It is important that the Legislature pass this bill to ensure they cannot continue to operate without any accountability for their decisions.
- Read more about these bills and others on our website at aclualabama.org/2022lege.
Action Alert
Alabama lawmakers are once again attacking transgender youth and trying to ban gender-affirming healthcare. Last year, thanks to the outcries of supporters like you, we were able to come together and defeat Rep. Allen and Sen. Shelnutt's discriminatory bill. But we need your help again.
Earlier this month, they re-filed this bill as Senate Bill 184, and it quickly passed out of Senate Health Committee on February 9. Send a message now to your House and Senate representatives, and make sure they know Alabama voters do NOT want their representatives supporting government overreach and unconstitutional discrimination.
TELL THE LEGISLATURE: TRANS YOUTH BELONG
News Highlights
Last year, we worked to fight against direct attacks on our communities. Some key moments include:
- In January, a unanimous three-judge panel ordered the Alabama Legislature to draft a new congressional map after determining that the map passed by the Legislature in the fall of 2021 did not comply with the Voting Rights Act. Unfortunately, last week, the Supreme Court blocked this ruling based on timing concerns, allowing the Legislature's unfair maps to stay in effect for the 2022 election cycle. Nevertheless, the case will continue in federal court to determine whether the congressional map may be redrawn in future elections after 2022. Tish Gotell Faulks, our Legal Director, had this to say: "The people of Alabama shouldn't have to vote on a map in 2022 that we know is unfair. We look forward to vindicating our claims at trial as the case continues in federal court."
- Beth Shelburne, our investigative reporter for our Campaign for Smart Justice, appeared on a local podcast (Alabama Politics This Week with Josh Moon and David Person) to talk about Alabama prisons.
Upcoming Events
- Alabama Voting Rights Coalition's Virtual Lobby Day
- Save the date and join AVRC for #RestoretheVoiceDay on Wednesday, February 23 at 10 a.m.. Visit AVRC's digital toolkit to access graphics, talking points, and more!
If you think this is a lot of information, you are right. It is! But these topics and issues all have an impact on your everyday life, so we are making sure to alert you to them. We invite you to continue to follow these monthly newsletters so you can stay knowledgeable about what's going on in Alabama.