Last week, the federal government shut down after lawmakers failed to reach an agreement about funding for the government, as Republicans and Democrats clashed over funding for Medicaid and tax credits tied to the Affordable Care Act’s health insurance marketplace. Now, effects of the government shutdown are rippling through the country, with Alabamians facing threats to the operations of some federal benefit programs as well as to their paychecks.

Ahead of the shutdown last week, a group of protestors rallied outside of the Alabama state Capitol to voice opposition to federal cuts to Medicaid and SNAP, calling Alabama Sens. Katie Britt and Tommy Tuberville to restore funding cuts to these institutions. The protest, which drew around 80 participants, was part of the Alabama Poor People’s Campaign’s Moral Mondays movement and was organized by clergy members from across the state.

“That is why we serve the least of these. And in our congregation, like so many faith communities in this state, we give food to our food pantries so that families can come and have enough to eat,” Vestavia Hills presbyterian pastor Leanne Pearce Reed told the Alabama Reflector. “We do all of these things, and then our lawmakers do not do their part to stand up for the least of these. Our lawmakers say we are going to take health care from those who are already vulnerable.”

Medicaid, which more than 1 million Alabamians are enrolled in, and Medicare, which more than 800,000 Alabaminas are enrolled in, health care are expected to continue throughout the government shutdown, though staffing for both agencies will be curtailed which could mean delays for some services. 

However, SNAP benefits, which about 15% of the state’s population used each month in 2024, are more contentious. There will be no disruption to SNAP benefits in the month of October. However, if the shutdown is prolonged, the USDA, which oversees the SNAP program, would have to rely on its contingency funds which are limited. It is unclear how SNAP benefits would be dispersed for November if the shutdown were to last that long. 

The government shutdown is also being acutely felt by the thousands of federal employees based in north Alabama working at the Redstone Arsenal and NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center. 

NASA, so far, has furloughed 15,000 employees nationwide following the shutdown. Another 3,000 employees working on operations deemed essential, such as International Space Station operations and satellite operations, will continue to work without pay. The Marshall Space Flight Center, which employs about 6,000 people, oversees many of these operations, so it will likely stay in partial operation during the shutdown.

The Redstone Arsenal, which is home to 42,000 civilian military and contract employees and 800 uniformed personnel, will also face the effects of the government shutdown. However, a Department of War directive regarding the shutdown said employees whose compensation comes from sources other than annual appropriations are still expected to work, as would personnel whose jobs are necessary to protect life and property. This means many employees at Redstone Arsenal will be expected to continue to work without pay during the shutdown.

Redstone Federal Credit Union is offering specialized assistance to federal employees who will be working without pay during the government shutdown. The credit union will be offering a low-interest, 1.5% loan up to $5,000 or their net monthly pay, with no payment due for the first 60 days. Additionally, the credit union is also allowing members to defer a payment on eligible loans at no-cost during the shutdown. 

Some Alabama congressional lawmakers have also announced they will be requesting that their pay be withheld during the government shutdown as well. This includes Britt, as well Reps. Barry Moore and Dale Strong. 

Alabama top stories in brief

Commission report highlights disparities in court fee system

• A report from the Joint Interim Study Commission on Court Costs — a commission of judges, lawmakers, lawyers and others tasked by Alabama’s state Legislature to study the state’s court fee system — released a report finding that people involved in civil, criminal and domestic cases are required to pay widely varying court costs and fees depending on where they live or where their case is heard.
• The commission found the patchwork nature of court costs and fees has developed over decades as legislators passed bills that applied to only one county to address a specific need.
• However, the commission also said that there is no clear way to set statewide standards as of now. Currently, the group is focusing on compiling more complete data sets on all state and local court costs and fees by category of cases. 

Alabama immigration advocate detained by ICE self-deports to Mexico

• Giovanna Hernandez-Martinez, an Alabama social worker and immigration advocate who, in August, was detained by ICE during a traffic stop on Interstate 20 in Leeds, has self-deported to Mexico after spending more than a month in an ICE detention facility in Louisiana.  
• According to Hernandez-Martinez’s brother, Dilan Hernandez, her decision to self-deport was motivated in part by the lack of medical care in the detention facility.
• “Currently, I am with family in Mexico City. I am processing. I am struggling to accept that I have left behind my family. My rock. My friends, loved ones, my community. I am grieving a life I lived since I was 7 years old,” Hernandez-Martinez said in a statement she posted to Facebook last week.

Drought conditions worsen across state

• Drought conditions have continued to worsen across Alabama, with some areas in west Alabama now facing extreme drought according to the U.S. Drought Monitor.
• 12.6% of the state now faces extreme drought, while 13.5% of the state are in the severe drought category. 
• Due to the extremely dry conditions throughout the state, the Alabama Forestry Commission has issued a statewide fire danger advisory. Alabamians are encouraged to refrain from burning any fires until the advisory is lifted. 
• NOAA predicts some rain in Alabama this week, especially along the gulf coast and in northern parts of the state, but drought-busting rain is not expected for most of the state.

Alabama jails more pregnant women than any other state report finds

• A new report from Pregnancy Justice, a nonprofit focused on the rights of pregnant people, has found that Alabama jails more pregnant women than any other state.
• The report, which focuses on carceral punishment following the U.S. Supreme Court’s repeal of Roe v. Wade, found that 192 pregnant women were prosecuted in Alabama from June 2022 to 2024.
• Nationwide, 412 pregnant people were prosecuted across 16 states, meaning nearly half of the cases were in Alabama. 
• Most of the pregnant people in Alabama cases were arrested on charges of chemical endangerment, meaning that they were suspected to have used drugs while pregnant. Alabama has abnormally high rates of chemical endangerment arrests, since the state supreme court ruled that laws meant to protect children from meth labs could also apply to fetuses in the womb.

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