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 […]
Today the Alabama Senate and House Judiciary Committees considered legislation to reclassify one ounce or less of marijuana as a civil offense, the possession of more than one ounce but less than two ounces as a Class D felony, and the possession of more than two ounces as a Class C felony. SB 251 (Senator […]
Today the Alabama Senate Judiciary Committee voted to advance SB 213 (Senator Orr), which would end civil asset forfeiture in Alabama. “Civil asset forfeiture allows the government to take and keep your cash, your car, or your house – even if you are never charged with a crime,” said Frank Knaack, executive director of Alabama […]
by Frank Knaack, Executive Director The staggering racial disparities in Alabama’s criminal justice system mean people of color are more likely to incur criminal justice debt and face counterproductive hurdles to reentry. People of color are also far more likely to encounter predatory lenders, whose loan products can legally reach 456% APR. Together, these systems help drive […]
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