Mapping Alabama’s Public-Nonprofit Partnership
Mapping Alabama’s Public–Nonprofit Partnership examines how Alabama’s nonprofit sector functions as an essential partner in the delivery of public services. The report is a collaboration between Alabama Association of Nonprofits and the Community Foundation of Greater Birmingham, with research conducted by PARCA. Alabama is home to 5,996 active 501(c)(3) organizations that file regular tax returns […]
Lower Fines and Fees Raise MORE Revenue than Higher Fines and Fees, Study Finds
New research indicates that lower fines and fees raise more revenue than higher ones, and that a “collections fee” that is supposed to incentivize payment is instead associated with greater debt. The report, Findings from the Jefferson County Equitable Fines and Fees Project from MDRC, provides insight into an issue the Legislature is struggling to […]
State Tax Revenues Cool in FY 2025
Tax revenues flowing into Alabama state government returned to a more normal rate of growth in 2025, after several years of unusually high gains. Revenue flowing into both the General Fund and the Education Trust Fund grew at about the rate of inflation. A combination of unusual conditions, including historically low unemployment and an unprecedented […]
New Data Shows Progress on Third Grade Reading Continues
Due to a new higher standard, the number and percentage of third graders who failed to meet the grade-level reading benchmark rose in 2025. However, taking the higher standard into account, this year’s third graders showed continued improvement, indicating that the state’s focus on improving early grades literacy is continuing to pay dividends. This spring, […]
Alabama High School Graduation and College and Career Readiness Rates Reached Record Levels in 2024
Alabama’s public high school graduation rate tied its all-time high in 2024, while the Class of 2024 also set a new record for the percentage of graduates designated ready for college and career, according to new data released by the Alabama Department of Education. Among 2024’s senior class, 88% had earned a college and career-ready (CCR) […]
Alabama’s $60 Billion Question: Potential Reductions in Payments?
Passage of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (H.R. 1) in the U.S. House has sparked discussions about the impact of reductions in federal funding across the U.S. KFF, a nonprofit policy analysis organization formerly known as Kaiser Family Foundation, estimates that the House Budget Committee’s reconciliation bill would reduce federal Medicaid spending by $791 […]
Huntsville Continues to Surge, Remaining Big 3 Cities Jockey for Position, while Rural Areas Lose Population in 2024
New population estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau place Mobile as the state’s second-largest city, behind booming Huntsville and ahead of Birmingham and Montgomery, both of which saw population declines according to the most recent estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau. Mobile’s new status takes into account the city’s 2023 annexations of neighborhoods in Mobile […]
Data-informed Decision Making Helps Drive Down Overdose Deaths in 2024
The sharp drop in overdose deaths in 2024, both nationally and in Jefferson County, wasn’t an accident, according to members of the task force that works to combat the epidemic of drug-related deaths. Instead, it resulted from public policy changes and the geographically targeted deployment of resources. Figure 1. Trends in Accidental Drug and Opioid […]
Alabama’s $60 Billion Question
Alabama relies on federal spending—Alabama residents do, too. Alabama residents receive over $60 billion from the federal government—23% of all personal income. These figures are based on a September 2024 report, The Great Transfer-mation: How American Communities Became Reliant on Income from Government, by the Economic Innovation Group (EIG). These payments, known as transfer payments, […]
The Alabama Constitution’s Impact on Taxes and Spending
PARCA is re-examining Alabama’s Constitution in light of the 2022 passage of a revised and reorganized version of the state’s fundamental law. The approval of the Constitution of 2022 was the culmination of decades of advocacy. Some important changes were achieved, including a substantial reorganization and the removal of racist and unconstitutional provisions central to […]