Class War in Alabama

Workers in Alabama are facing Southern style austerity. The state legislature in Montgomery has been busy this session, working hard to squeeze the working class while pushing a far-right agenda and enriching themselves.

The War on Immigrants continues on. The state became famous for taking Arizona's notorious immigration law and making it "tougher." There are current bills being debated to revise the infamous HB56. Of course, none of these revisions actually address the real issues. To quote the ACLU of Alabama:

"Although touted as a “reform” bill, HB658 does too little to address the humanitarian, legal, and moral crisis in Alabama caused by HB56. HB658, for example, does not exempt religious and humanitarian groups from its criminal harboring provision; does not prevent school officials from inquiring into the immigration status of schoolchildren and their parents; and continues to void contracts and to criminalize interactions with government. Worse, some aspects of HB658 would make the nation’s most extreme immigration law even more punitive and unworkable Expanding the “papers please” provision to cover automobile passengers; prolonging unlawful detentions; and increasing the penalties of the state-law immigration crimes invites new legal controversies and reputational harm."

The ruling class attempts to divide workers on the basis of race or nationality; workers must respond with a show of solidarity and unity. It is the chains of capital that bind us together--not our place of birth.

Alabama has also declared a War on Teachers and Public Education. The amount of anti-teacher legislation passed in the past few legislative sessions is astounding and would require more attention than this simple post. Reduction in benefits, reduction in pay, loss of jobs. You name it, we're facing it. Some of the biggest education bills floating around right now are HB451 (charter schools) and HB 159/160 (funding). There is clearly a movement in Alabama, in fact across the nation, to dismantle public education as we know it. The cries of "privatize! privatize!" echo across state legislatures, while students, parents and teachers face devastating consequences. The intent is to divert public funds from public schools and intto the hands of private corporations. The destruction of public education is one of the boldest attacks on American and Alabamian workers that we currently face!