Six issues. One approach.
For each one: what's broken, who pays for it, and what he proposed.
Forrest Satterfield, the 2026 Democratic nominee for Alabama House District 21, ran on six issues, in this order: healthcare, housing, infrastructure, education, family and accountability. Each plan has more than one path forward, so no single bill has to pass for it to work.
Pick an issue to see the plan.
Healthcare
One hospital system now owns every general hospital in Huntsville and Madison County, and state law shields it from antitrust enforcement. Forrest proposed putting that immunity, § 22-21-318, before the Legislature and reforming Certificate of Need so new competitors could open.
Housing
Alabama doesn't require builders to give a written warranty on new homes, and families who own older homes outright can lose them to repair bills and liens. Forrest proposed setting a 1-2-6 warranty floor for new homes and funding repair grants for lower-income homeowners.
Infrastructure
US 231 carries more traffic than it was built for, and fixes arrive years after the traffic does. Forrest proposed funding turn lanes and intersection redesign directly, and letting Madison County decide its own single-county road projects.
Education
Alabama spends about $13,600 per student, in the bottom quarter of states, and in 2024-25 its teachers earned about $11,500 less than the national average. Forrest proposed raising starting pay to keep up as Tennessee lifts its minimum to $50,000, and opening First Class Pre-K to every four-year-old.
Family
Child care for two young kids around Huntsville costs about as much as a typical Madison County mortgage, while the workers providing it earn so little many qualify for assistance themselves. Forrest proposed creating a refundable child care credit for families under area median income and a state-backed wage floor for child care workers.
Accountability
Most voters never hear from their state representative between elections, and roll-call votes sit buried in archives. Forrest proposed publishing a quarterly report, a live dashboard of every bill position and lobbyist meeting, and a scorecard before each session.
Each one makes the other five harder.
The healthcare consolidation that drives premiums up is the same dynamic that compresses non-healthcare wages. The wage compression that makes housing less affordable is the same that pushes child care out of reach. The infrastructure deficit that lengthens commutes is the same that reduces the geographic pool from which schools and hospitals can hire. And the accountability gap is what allows each of these to drift, quarter after quarter, with no public record of the drift.
Fix one and the others get easier.