This past weekend, people all across Alabama gathered for the Bridge Crossing Jubilee in Selma, Alabama to mark the passing of the 58th anniversary of Bloody Sunday, the Selma to Montgomery march and the passing of the 1965 voting rights act. Bloody Sunday was a pivotal moment in the civil rights movement, and the bravery of those who marched should always be commended for helping give us the rights we now enjoy today.
Alabama top stories in brief
- High school graduation rates in Alabama dropped 2.5% overall in 2022. The class of 2022 had a graduation rate of 88.2% compared to the class of 2021’s 90.7% graduation rate. This is the first time since 2017 that Alabama’s high school graduation rate has dropped below 90%.
- Alabama is among the states in the U.S. that has banned abortion after the overturning of Roe v. Wade. Despite the strong vocal support in the state for the ban by many, a recent study by the Public Religion Research Institute found that 55% of Alabamians believe that abortion should be legal in most or all cases. The study found that across the U.S., 64% of Americans believe that abortion should be legal in most or all cases.
- Several Alabama legislators are currently working to pass laws requiring that all ballots in the state are completed on paper and banning the use of voting machines capable of connecting to the internet. This is to address some concerns legislators have had about future election integrity.
- Alabama’s Department of Economic and Community Affairs will be hosting the state’s next surplus auction from March 4 until March 12 on GovDeals.com. More information on how to participate in the online auction can be found on ADECA’s website.
Task force makes recommendations to decrease wage gap for women in Alabama
A recent report by the Alabama Workforce and Wage Gap Task Force found that women in Alabama make 67 cents for every dollar that men earn across all industries. Currently, women across the U.S. make on average 82 cents for every dollar made by a man.
The report recommended that the state strengthen equal pay protections, invest in childcare and streamline the workforce development pipeline for women and girls. Specifically, it recommends creating a ban on employers asking for a salary history, incentivizing businesses to conduct equal pay audits, use targeted tax credits to expand access to childcare and provide additional funding to programs that increase awareness of high-paying, high-demand jobs.
“Employers’ reliance on salary history to make hiring and compensation decisions is particularly harmful for women, as the practice can unintentionally relegate women to lower pay based on prior discrimination,” the report said.
Currently, 17 states have banned potential employers asking for salary history. The report said that these bans have been shown to be most beneficial for women and people of color.
The gender based wage gap widens when it is applied specifically to Black or Hispanic women.
“Black women and Hispanic women earn only 52 cents and 41 cents, respectively, for every dollar a white man earns,” said the report.
The Alabama Workforce and Wage Gap Task Force was formed in 2022 by the state legislature in order to address the gender wage gap in Alabama. Much of the data used in the report was provided by the Women’s Foundation of Alabama, whose president, Melanie R. Bridgeforth, chaired the task force.
“Alabama must act now to create policies and practices that change the landscape for women,” said Bridgeforth.
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