Robyn Hyden

Reflecting on a great 2025 legislative session for Alabama Arise members and partners! ✔️ 2nd cent reduction in grocery tax ✔️ sales taxes removed on women’s menstrual products, baby food + diapers ✔️ paid parental leave for state employees and teachers ✔️ Maternal Health Act

New USDA data show 2.5 million fewer people participated in SNAP in December compared to July, when the Republican megabill (H.R. 1) enacted the deepest SNAP cuts in history. This is only the beginning — even more people will lose SNAP as the full brunt of these cuts take effect.

The research, completed with the UAB Laboratory for Global Health Observation: ntrs.nasa.gov/citations/2020…

Did research on Lyme disease in my early 20s. Terrible disease. At the time, many doctors were still refusing to acknowledge you could get exposed on Lyme in Alabama. One of my close friends in K12 had it. Hopeful for this vaccine so I don't have to worry about this with my son.

Hot off the press! Get your copy today!

Alabama Arise invites you to a book launch event for "Loving My Enemies & Other Outlandish Pursuits," written by one of Arise’s founders, Angie Wright. Join us Thursday, March 19 at 5:30 p.m. at the Kress Building Community Room. Find more info here alarise.org/event/join-us-…

Arise’s Robyn Hyden testified last week in opposition to HB 392, which would change Alabama's Public Service Commission from an elected board to an appointed one. Read the full text of her prepared remarks on our blog. #alpolitics alarise.org/resources/alab…

Join me in sending a message to our House members: Don’t take away our right to vote for PSC members! http://www.voter voice.net/Shares/Bh-c7AG…

Minnesota cops are pissed because the black and brown ones are getting routinely racially profiled and harassed by ICE. This is WILD.

@ALimmigrant @HICA_Alabama @UniteThePoor @splcenter Rep. Penni McClammy speaks on racial profiling and reminds people of a case in Montgomery where a “killer cop” chased down a young Black man and killed him for no reason. He was ultimately found guilty of murder but was released last year. She thanks the speakers for attending.

@ALimmigrant @HICA_Alabama @UniteThePoor @splcenter Rep. Matt Simpson says he believes law enforcement and ICE have been impugned by the statements made by the speakers. Rep. Chris England responds and speaks again about the fact that people’s real experiences of racism and racial profiling are real.

I’m in the Alabama State House today at the House Judiciary Committee for a public hearing on HB 13, a bill that would expand the ability for local governments to collaborate with ICE. This bill has been introduced for 2 years prior and never passed both houses. #alpolitics

@ALimmigrant @HICA_Alabama @UniteThePoor @splcenter Lawmakers on the committee state that their intent would not be for any US citizens to be detained unlawfully.

@ALimmigrant @HICA_Alabama @UniteThePoor @splcenter Attorney Diane Oriaf from Tuscaloosa is up next as an opponent, and speaks about the legal fees that Alabama could accrue to defend this unconstitutional bill in court. Says she reads reports from ICE officers and sees what they cite as reasonable suspicion for arrests-ethnicity.

@ALimmigrant @HICA_Alabama @UniteThePoor @splcenter Someone from Justice With Limits steps up as a “proponent” of the bill but proceeds to state that this bill could open up Alabama law enforcement officers to unconstitutional acts by detaining people illegally. Interesting argument.

@ALimmigrant @HICA_Alabama @UniteThePoor @splcenter Rep. Chris England responds and says that regardless of what the law says, many immigrants and people of color are subjected to racial profiling, and this is a real and rational fear. Several people applaud his comments but are instructed to listen quietly.

@ALimmigrant @HICA_Alabama @UniteThePoor @splcenter Rev. Dr. Kevin Thomas is the first person to speak in opposition to this bill. Speaks about his daughter, who was adopted from Guatemala at the age of 1, who is afraid to leave her house.