Funding Push for Maternal Care, Restoring Black Belt Prairies, & Addressing Teacher Health Insurance Shortfall
December 2025 Group Watch: News & Views from the State House
Solution Needed to Address Funding For Teachers’ Health Care
When the 2026 session starts, one challenge facing lawmakers will the budget deficit affecting the funding for teachers’ health insurance. The shortfall totals $380 million, so legislators will have their work cut out for them when they look at the Education Trust Fund budget next year. The head of the group that handles educators’ insurance said the issue could lead to higher premiums and out-of-pocket costs for teachers. Read more here.
Senator Britt Calls for Improved Maternal Health Care
Alabama Senator Katie Britt has introduced the NIH IMPROVE Act aimed at reducing the instances of maternal mortality by ensuring consistent federal funding for research on maternal care. She called preventable pregnancy-related deaths unacceptable in this day and age in a country with our medical resources.
Britt believes the bi-partisan bill will rally support from both sides of the aisle, and the legislation is only the latest in Britt’s efforts to support women and children and to increase access to quality health services for women, particularly in rural areas. Read more here.
Holidays Bring Increase in Online Scams
The Alabama Securities Commission is advising Alabama consumers to be on the lookout for scams this holiday season, warning that online scams are particularly prevalent. The alert came as a result of a Federal Trade Commission report that places most of the cities in the state among its “top 50 metro areas” for fraud. ASC officials point to fake shopping websites, like those mimicking Amazon, as some of the most common scams. Read more here.
Alabama’s First Female Senator Dies
Last week, Ann Bedsole of Mobile passed away at age 95. She was a formidable force in Alabama goverment, having the distinction of being the first Republican woman elected to the Alabama House of Representatives and the first woman to serve in the Alabama Senate. But she leaves a legacy beyond politics; Bledsoe also co-founded the Alabama School of Mathematics and Science. Read more here. Read more here.
State to Restore Black Belt Prairie
Thanks to a $17.5 million USDA-NRCS Regional Conservation Partnership Program grant combined with state funding, a coordinated conservation effort will soon be underway to protect the rural landscapes in 19 Black Belt counties. The effort will work to preserve and restore the native prairies of the region, which have been disappearing for decades. The conservation project plans to use a multi-faceted approach that brings the grasslands back while also boosting local economies. Read more here.
Post of the Month
Meet The Bloom Group: (left to right) John Guthrie Jr., Harris Sanderson, Stephanie Norrell, Hal Bloom (principal/founder), Allen Sanderson (principal), Sara Elizabeth Burnham (vice president), James Dupree Jr., John Floyd.