The following statement is by Frank McPhillips, Chair of the Alabama Appleseed Board of Directors, on the passing of Clement Clay “Bo” Torbert Jr.: Chief Justice Bo Torbert was beloved by everyone with whom he came in contact, known for his graciousness, his generosity, and his great humor. Chief Justice Torbert was a founding member […]
by Frank Knaack, Executive Director If you had asked your legislator last year about their stance on civil asset forfeiture, jail food, or marijuana reclassification you would likely have heard confusion about the first two and opposition to the third. That’s no longer the case. While our legislation to end civil asset forfeiture, stop sheriffs […]
by Leah Nelson, Researcher In 1972’s Furman v. Georgia, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that death penalty schemes that led to arbitrary results – for instance, those that allowed similar offenses committed by similar individuals to lead to different sentences – were unconstitutional. The result was a de facto moratorium on the death penalty nationwide, […]
by Phillip Ensler, Policy Counsel This past legislative session, Alabama Appleseed worked to improve on access to justice for low-income individuals in our state by advocating for two important pieces of legislation. While some legislators in both the House and Senate supported these bills, the full state legislature was not given the opportunity to vote on […]
by Dana Sweeney, Organizer There are more payday lenders and title loan stores in Alabama than hospitals, high schools, movie theaters, and county courthouses combined. Payday lending by itself is a massive industry that harms hundreds of thousands of Alabama borrowers and their families each year. Each year, the payday lending industry leeches more […]
By Phillip Ensler, Policy Counsel Low-income tenants throughout Alabama will enjoy greater access to justice due to the Alabama Court of Civil Appeal’s ruling last week in Morrow v. Pake. In a decision that will affect thousands of tenants, the court reversed the Tuscaloosa Circuit Court, and ruled that tenants who are evicted have a right under […]
The 2018 Alabama Regular Session began on January 9 and concluded on March 29. Below is a summary of key human rights legislation considered during the 2018 session. Fair Schools, Safe Communities Campaign Legislation Our communities are safer and our schools fairer when laws and policies are grounded in evidence. It’s time for Alabama’s […]
Alabama Appleseed today applauded the Alabama Senate’s vote to “ban the box” (SB198) on state employment applications. Banning the box would lead to greater opportunities for people with a criminal history as they re-enter their communities and the workforce. “Banning the box better ensures that Alabamians seeking state employment are judged on their merit, not […]
Enhance Public Safety, Strengthen our Economy, & Give People a Second Chance to Make an Honest Living SB 198 & HB 257 ensure that the State of Alabama, its agencies, and its political subdivisions cannot ask a prospective employee if that person has been arrested for or convicted of any crime, with certain exceptions. A […]
by Dana Sweeney, Organizer For years, there has been widespread, bipartisan agreement that we must reel in predatory payday lenders in Alabama. According to data collected by the State Banking Department, about 215,000 Alabamians took out 1.8 million payday loans between October 2016 and September 2017, averaging more than eight loans per customer. Even though […]
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