Steve Flowers: How will Alabama fare in Washington after Richard Shelby
Some of you have inquired how Alabama will fare in Washington after Senator Richard Shelby retires at the end of 2022. The answer is that it will be nothing less than devastating for the Heart of Dixie. The amount of federal dollars that Senator Shelby has individually brought home is incalculable and irreplaceable. Alabama is going to be in the proverbial boat without a paddle in 20 short months. We will have negligible power in Washington and for a state that depends on federal dollars, that is not going to be a good position to be in for Alabama. Whoever wins the 2022 race for Shelby’s seat will have no real power for at least 18 years. The senate is a venerable institution where power is based on seniority. You have to wait your turn and patiently await the day when you can be a committee chairman or player in the senate. Even if we elect someone with the acumen, ability, and temperament to be an effective senator, they will be in waiting two decades before they are modestly important. Tommy Tuberville has only been in the Senate for four months. He is 66 and will be irrelevant in probably one term in the Senate. In short, we are dead in the water in the U.S. Senate for this generation. There is hope for future generations of Alabamians if someone under 55 with ability takes Shelby’s seat. There is a glimmer of hope for Alabama to sustain and preserve some of the mountains of largesse that Shelby has bestowed on our beloved state. However, that power rests in the U.S. House of Representatives. Congresswoman Terri Sewell and Congressman Robert Aderholt could be our hope for salvation for the upcoming decade. Congresswoman Terri Sewell is in her sixth two-year term representing Alabama’s seventh Congressional district. She is one of the first women elected to congress from Alabama in her own right and is the first black woman to ever serve in the Alabama Congressional delegation. She is the only Democrat in the entire Alabama delegation. Therefore, she is our only conduit to the Democratic Presidential throne. She is highly respected by the Joe Biden Administration, as well as the U.S. House leadership. She is on a fast track too within the House Democratic Party. In her short time in Congress, Sewell has held several leadership positions including freshman class president, and currently serves as Chief Deputy Whip under the tutelage of Democratic Whip James Clyburn. Sewell has made her mark within the Democratic Caucus. The Democrats not only occupy the White House, but they are also in the majority in the U.S. House of Representatives. The majority party controls all the committee chairmanships and all of the power in Congress. The most important aspect of Congresswoman Sewell’s ability to help Alabama is that she sits on the exclusive House Ways and Means Committee, which writes the federal budget. By far the brightest Republican star in our Washington delegation is Congressman Robert Aderholt. This clean-cut, conservative was first elected to Congress in 1996 at the age of 31. He is now in his 25th year in Congress and is a member of the powerful House Committee on Appropriations. His sprawling north Alabama 4th District extends in a band across north Alabama from Mississippi to Georgia. Huntsville’s hope is that when the new Congressional districts are drawn this year for the 2022 elections, that Aderholt can be brought into Madison County to help protect the Redstone Arsenal, which is truly dependent on federal dollars from Washington. Congressman Aderholt was born and raised in Haleyville where he and his wife, Caroline, reside when not in Washington. His father is a revered and respected, retired circuit judge. Caroline has deep political roots in the Huntsville/Madison area. Her father, Albert McDonald, was a prominent farmer who was a state senator from the Tennessee Valley and was Alabama’s Agriculture Commissioner. A third member of the House delegation, Mike Rogers of Anniston, could give us a triumvirate of power in the U.S. House. Congressman Rogers is the ranking Republican on the House Armed Services Committee. Congresswoman Sewell, Congressman Aderholt, and possibly Congressman Rogers, can be a hope for salvation in the post-Richard Shelby era for the State of Alabama. See you next week. Steve Flowers is Alabama’s leading political columnist. His weekly column appears in over 60 Alabama newspapers. He served 16 years in the state legislature. Steve may be reached at www.steveflowers.us.
Steve Flowers: Some legislative issues
The 2020 legislative regular session is wrapping up. After this week’s two days of meeting days, only one final legislative day remains on May 17. There have been a myriad of high-profile measures addressed during this year’s session. However, the budgets and how state dollars are spent are always the paramount issues on the minds of legislators, especially the budget chairmen. The elephant in the room, which is on the back of everyone’s mind, is the prison issue. Alabama must-have new prisons. The governor wants to and has moved unilaterally to privatize the new prisons. Legislators are skeptical of the open-ended cost and believe the state should own the prisons and a bond issue should be floated to pay for the state’s new prisons. This skepticism by legislative leaders has resulted in a bill that is meandering through the legislature, which would create a joint legislative oversight committee to review any large expenditures. The bill would require any non-education state agency or state department to obtain approval from a newly formed oversight committee on obligation transparency for any General Fund expenditures over $10 million. As the COVID pandemic shutdown began last March, home delivery of groceries and all merchandise flourished. Everything under the sun began to be delivered to people’s homes, except for alcohol in Alabama. We have very strict laws regarding the sale of alcohol. These laws are administered and upheld by the Alabama Alcohol and Beverage Control Board. Well, there has been a hue and cry from a good many Alabamians who have desired that wine, beer, and liquor be delivered to their homes the same as other grocery items. The legislature heard their concerns and adhered to their wishes. They passed legislation allowing for home delivery of alcohol during this session, and Governor Kay Ivey signed the law. However, in a recent conversation with Alabama Beverage Control administrators, Mac Gipson and William Thigpen, they are of the belief that very few Alabamians will actually be able to afford this luxury. The legislation calls for very stringent guidelines regarding the delivery process. It will probably be cost-prohibitive for delivery companies to participate. There will be costly prohibitions in order to adhere to the ABC’s guidelines. Someone will have to be 21 or older at home to sign for the alcohol. Delivery drivers will have to have perfect driving records that will have to be void of DUI’s for at least six years. There will have to be proper refrigeration for certain beverages and numerous other precautions. There can be no delivery to college campuses or their surrounding neighborhoods. This legislation is not the panacea that at-home drinkers believe it will be. Alabamians are also still prohibited from purchasing alcohol from out-of-state under any circumstance. Those Alabama drinkers who delight in garnering select brands of bourbon, scotch, vodka, gin, and fine wines must still drive to some other states to get their preferred indulgence. The perennial legislation regarding the use of medical marijuana for medicinal purposes has been front and center this session. It usually gets passed in the Senate. It always gets bogged down in the House of Representatives. It has become law in most states. However, Alabama is a conservative state, and the Alabama House is a very conservative and deliberative body. Senator Tim Melson, who is a staunch conservative Republican senator and a physician, is the sponsor. He has seen first-hand how the use of medicinal marijuana has helped his patients. A good many Alabamians, who have suffered debilitating pain from cancer and other illnesses, can and will attest to using this relief. Alabama now has an official state vegetable, the sweet potato. The Alabama legislature made it official during the regular session. Alabama has taken heart in creating official emblems and honors over the years. We have an official state fruit, the blackberry. The official tree fruit is the peach. The official crustacean is the brown shrimp. The official amphibian is the red hills salamander. All in all, it may not be a bad Session. See you next week. Steve Flowers is Alabama’s leading political columnist. His weekly column appears in over 60 Alabama newspapers. He served 16 years in the state legislature. Steve may be reached at www.steveflowers.us.
Steve Flowers: Who are the nine people who sit on our state Supreme Court?
This week allow me to share with you a sketch of the men and women who sit on our State Supreme Court. These nine Justices are all Republican, all conservative on both social and business issues. All are very devout in their faith and very connected to their church and their family. Chief Justice Tom Parker has been on the State Supreme Court since 2005. He was born and raised in Montgomery and went to Dartmouth College and Vanderbilt Law School. Chief Justice Parker and his wife the former Dottie James of Auburn have been married 39 years. Dottie was a supervisor of the governor’s mansion during the Fob James administration. They are Methodist. Justice Jay Mitchell is the most personable and definitely the tallest member of the Supreme Court. Jay was a star basketball player at Birmingham Southern where he graduated Phi Beta Kappa. He is imminently qualified for the Supreme Court having graduated from the University of Virginia Law School and had a sterling career with a Birmingham Law firm prior to being overwhelmingly elected to the high tribunal in 2018. Justice Mitchell and his wife, Elizabeth Mitchell, have four children. They reside in Homewood and are members of the Church of the Highlands. Justice Tommy Bryan is a popular and conservative member of the high court. Tommy was born on a family farm in Crenshaw County. He served on the Court of Civil Appeals and was an assistant attorney general prior to being elected to the Supreme Court in 2012. Justice Bryan and his wife, Pamela Bryan, are very active members of the First Baptist Church of Montgomery where he is a Deacon, Sunday School teacher, and sings in the choir. He and Pam are very close and have raised two fine children. Justice William “Will” Sellers, like Justice Parker, is a Montgomery native, as is Will’s outstanding wife, Lee Grant Sellers. Justice Sellers and Lee have been married 33 years and have three adult children and are active members of Trinity Presbyterian Church of Montgomery. Will was a prominent Tax Attorney prior to going on the court. He is a graduate of the University of Alabama Law School and has a New York University tax degree. Justice Brad Mendheim was a Circuit Judge in Houston County prior to going on the Supreme Court. He was born and raised in Dothan and is one of the most respected young men to have come out of his hometown. He is a graduate of Auburn University and Cumberland School of Law. He and his wife of 24 years, Michelle Mendheim, are very active members of the First Baptist Church of Dothan and they have three fine sons. Justice Greg Shaw epitomizes a judge both professionally and personally. He is said to be the hardest working member of the Court and takes his role seriously and is well above reproach. He has an outstanding wife, Samantha “Sam” Shaw, who has also had a sterling career in politics. She was overwhelmingly elected State Auditor twice, serving eight years. Greg and Sam live on a farm about an hour from Montgomery. They have two outstanding sons and are members of the Auburn United Methodist Church. Justice Shaw graduated from Auburn and Samford’s Cumberland School of Law. Justice Sarah Stewart is a longtime Mobilian and was a Mobile Circuit Judge prior to going on the Court. She is a very respected jurist and a graduate of Vanderbilt Law School. She and her husband, Craig Stewart, have two children and are Methodists. Justice Mike Bolin is one of the finest men I have ever known. Mike was a stellar and popular Probate Judge in Jefferson County prior to his service on the Supreme Court. He is a graduate of Samford University and a graduate of Cumberland School of Law. Justice Bolin and his wife, Rosemary Bolin, have one daughter. They attend St. Peter the Apostle Church in Hoover. Unfortunately, Judge Bolin cannot run for reelection next year. He will be over 70 and is term limited under state law. However, last but not least, Justice Kelli Wise is well below 70 and can and will run for reelection next year and she will win. She is a very popular member of the high court. Kelli served several terms on the Court of Criminal Appeals before matriculating to the Supreme Court. Justice Wise and her husband, former District Court Judge Arthur Ray, have one daughter and are members of the St. James United Methodist Church. Kelli is a Wiregrass native up for reelection next year in 2022. See you next week. Steve Flowers is Alabama’s leading political columnist. His weekly column appears in over 60 Alabama newspapers. He served 16 years in the state legislature. Steve may be reached at www.steveflowers.us.
Steve Flowers: State Supreme Court often forgotten in Alabama
Our 1901 Alabama Constitution replicates the United States Constitution in designing a triumvirate of government. The Executive, Legislative and Judicial branches are designed to have separate and essentially equal powers. Although ideally, the three branches should be exclusive, over the course of history in both our state and national governments, the Executive and Legislative Branches have been intertwined in public policy matters, and the government seems to work more cohesively that way, especially when they are on congruent pages. On the federal level, our judicial arm of government sits on a separate island shrouded by a statue of the Blind Lady of Justice, and rightfully so. They are very independent and shielded from politics on the federal level. The U.S. Supreme Court is an omnipotent and private reserve of ultimate supreme power over public policy in America. Our Alabama Supreme Court is separate and powerful but is not shielded by politics. Our Supreme Court judges are elected. Most states appoint these positions. However, Alabamians have resisted any move to go from elected to appointed. Although most Alabamians could not name any of the members of the Supreme Court, they will fight to their death for their ability to go into a voting booth to elect them even though after they have done so, and they cannot remember who they just voted for or why. However, despite having to elect our judiciary, Alabamians have done a good job of electing good, well-qualified people to our appellate courts. We have nine members of the State Supreme Court, all elected for six-year terms in staggered election years. We also have a five-member Court of Civil Appeals and a five-member Court of Criminal Appeals. They are also elected for six-year terms in staggered years. All nine seats on the State Supreme Court are held by Republicans, and all 10 appellate judges are Republican. Therefore, winning the GOP Primary in the state Supreme Court races is tantamount to election in the Heart of Dixie. Seven of the nine Supreme Court Justices are men, and two are female. All are very conservative and religious in their court decisions and in their personal lives. As late as the 1990s, our Supreme Court was Democratically laden like our legislature. However, unlike our legislators, who were mostly conservatives and probably Republicans running as Democrats in name only, these Alabama Democratic Supreme Court judges were pro-plaintiff trial lawyers and anti-business. Many had been plaintiff lawyers prior to going on the court. Due to this overt bias and brazen liberal interpretation of laws and justice, we had become the laughingstock of the nation for fairytale justice that gave outrageous verdicts and judgments against every national corporation that did business in our state or even traversed through our borders. Therefore, our State Supreme Court became an eyesore for Alabama in recruiting any business or industry. Time Magazine did a feature publication entitled “Alabama Tort Hell.” Numerous business publications cautioned against not only opening plants in the state but to be leery of even passing through. Alabama was in bad need of Tort Reform. Alabama’s corporate community, as well as the national business community, decided to change things, and that began with changing our State Supreme Court from a Democratic plaintiff bastion to a Republican conservative tribunal; and they put their money where their mouth was. The business community brought in the legendary Karl Rove to orchestrate the takeover. He was successful. As mentioned, we now have a very conservative Republican nine-member State Supreme Court panel. As Rove was leaving, he imparted this nugget of advice for future races. His polling indicated that voters in Alabama prefer a Republican female candidate for a judgeship. Indeed, it is a proven fact in an Alabama appellate court race; if you place two candidates on a ballot in Alabama and neither does anything or spends any money, Jane Doe will defeat John Doe 54-46. Next week we will give you a rundown on who are the members who sit on our State Supreme Court. See you next week. Steve Flowers is Alabama’s leading political columnist. His weekly column appears in over 60 Alabama newspapers. He served 16 years in the state legislature. Steve may be reached at www.steveflowers.us.
Steve Flowers: Reapportionment and gerrymandering
Hopefully, you participated in the census last year. It is vitally important for each state that every person is counted. One of the first premises set out by our nation’s founding fathers is that there be a census taken every 10 years. The reason for the United States census is to determine how many seats each state is appropriated in the U.S. House of Representatives. It is based on the democratic principle of one man, one vote. Each state shall be equally represented based on the number of people they have within their state borders. The power to draw the congressional lines rests with the State Legislature. For that reason, there was a lot of time and money spent by the national political parties to capture the majority of seats in the swing state legislative bodies. The pen to draw the lines is in the hands of the majority party. In Alabama, that is overwhelmingly Republican. Therefore, you can rest assured that Congressional lines in the Heart of Dixie will be favorable toward the GOP’s six-to-one control. Indeed, this reapportionment pencil has the same application for the legislators’ own districts. This preferential partisan parameters of districts are generally referred to as gerrymandering. Dictionaries define the word “gerrymander” as “to divide a state, country or city limits into voting districts to give unfair advantage to one party in elections.” This is a pretty apt and succinct description of gerrymandering. The word was derived from an 1812 journalist’s evaluation of a Massachusetts reapportionment map and lines that looked like a salamander. The Governor of Massachusetts, who developed the salamander district, was named Gerry. Thus, the term gerrymander. In bygone days, gerrymandering was bold, overt, and racist. The courts have curtailed racist and ethical boundaries. So gerrymandering is not nearly as blatantly overtly partisan as in past times. Alabama’s 1901 constitution is as archaic as any in the nation. It has contributed to the poor image that persists today regarding our racist past. However, much of the damage was done during the 1960s. I had the opportunity to serve as a page in the state legislature when I was a boy. It was quite a learning experience. The older men, who were Senators and House members, would visit with the pages and tutor us on the rules and nuances of parliamentary procedures. One day, I was looking around the House, and it occurred to me that the urban areas and especially north Alabama were vastly underrepresented. As a boy, I knew that the Birmingham area was home to about 20% of the state’s population, but they certainly did not have a fifth of the House members. The same was true of Huntsville and other larger cities in North Alabama. The rural and black belt counties were enjoying the power that had been granted them by the 1901 constitution. The state legislature was very malapportioned as late as the 1960s. It was so severely imbalanced that it was almost comical. The legislature had simply ignored the constitutional mandate to reapportion itself every ten years. It was not until 1974 that the courts finally intervened and made the legislature reapportion itself. The federal courts not only mandated the reapportionment but also eventually had to draw the lines and districts. This federal court intervention gave African Americans representation in the legislature for the first time. Today, about 25% of the seats are held by African Americans. The reapportionment also gave fair and equitable representation to the urban areas of North Alabama. A cursory look at the legislative chambers today reveals that the majority of legislators are from Birmingham north because that is where the people live. You will see that trend become more accentuated when the lines are drawn this year. The population figures will reveal that North Alabama is where the growth is in the state. It will be interesting to see how the lines are drawn for the next decade. There will be a little political gerrymandering, but not like in the past years. It was thought that the 2020 census figures would be available for legislators by January. However, it may now be June, which could delay this year’s reapportionment session and, in turn, delay the 2022 election primaries. See you next week. Steve Flowers is Alabama’s leading political columnist. His weekly column appears in over 60 Alabama newspapers. He served 16 years in the state legislature. Steve may be reached at: www.steveflowers.us.
Steve Flowers: George Wallace, political genius and legislative master
As the Regular Legislative Session evolves, I recall years past when George Wallace was governor. George Wallace was definitely a political genius and a master of the legislative process. You might say that he was so successful because he had a lot of experience with being governor and dealing with the legislature. That is true, but it went deeper than that. He worked at it. During my 16 years in the legislature, Wallace was in a league by himself. My first term was 1982 and Governor Wallace was serving his last term as governor. He treated legislators like kings. It did not matter who was in his office, if you were a member of the legislature and you needed to see the Governor about something for your district, he would drop everything and usher you into his office and do anything he could to address your concern or district needs. I had known Gov. Wallace since I was a young page. One day I went down unannounced without an appointment and his secretary told him I was outside. The next thing I knew the door opened and Wallace told me to come in. He had about six Japanese diplomats in his office, who were prospective industrial prospects. He asked if I wanted to ask them to leave so we could meet privately. I said, “No, Governor, that’s not necessary, I’ll be glad to come back.” He said, “Okay,” but insisted on my staying while they visited. I sat down and he began telling the poor Japanese fellows that I had been a page when I was a little boy and he was in his first term as governor and that now I was his representative since I represented his hometown of Clayton, and he told them who he was kin to in my county and who I was kin to in south Alabama. I’m sure they were amused. Who couldn’t help but vote with a guy who gave a lowly member of the House that kind of attention and deference? At other times he would call my home at supper time and talk for about 30 minutes about a certain bill he was interested in. He would continue to talk long after I had already told him I would vote with him on his issue. He would tell me to put my two daughters on the phone; they were little at the time, but in his uncanny ability to remember names, he would call them by name and say, “Steve, let me talk to Ginny and let me say hello to little Allyson.” He was amazing. He loved to talk on the phone. He would also constantly have legislators out to the Governor’s Mansion for supper. We would eat supper with the governor more than with the lobbyists. He knew your district, your family and relatives and what committee you served on, and which program and roads you were interested in. The only thing he did not know was what time you went to bed because he might call you at 6:00 at suppertime or he might call you at midnight when you were asleep. He knew how to manipulate the legislature better than anyone. One day he had a group of legislators in his office trying to get them to vote with him. His secretary interrupted him to tell him Vice President Walter Mondale was on the phone. The legislators sat quietly while George talked to the vice president for a few minutes and took care of whatever business they had. Mondale hung up. Wallace pretended to listen a while longer and said, “Look, Mr. Vice President, I’d like to talk to you some more, but I’ve got a group of representatives and senators in here and I really don’t have time.” All the legislators started whispering, “No, Governor, don’t do that. Don’t hang up on the Vice President. We can wait.” But George just kept on talking, “I really appreciate your asking for my help, Mr. Vice President,” he said, “but I’m hanging up now. I’ve got enough problems here in the state of Alabama. I just can’t solve the world’s problems for you. I’ve got to talk to these legislators about a problem we’ve got in the legislature.” He then hung up the phone. By that time, those legislators were so impressed at how they were more important than the vice president of the United States that George could have gotten anything he wanted from them, and he did. See you next week. Steve Flowers is Alabama’s leading political columnist. His weekly column appears in over 60 Alabama newspapers. He served 16 years in the state legislature. Steve may be reached at www.steveflowers.us.
Steve Flowers: 2022 big election year as Alabama chooses Shelby’s successor
Last week we alerted you to the fact that next year will be a banner year in Alabama politics. The governor, lieutenant governor, and all other statewide constitutional offices are up for election. All 140 members of the legislature are up for election and will be running under new lines. Our entire congressional delegation is up for reelection and they too will be running under new lines drawn by the legislature. All 67 sheriffs in the state are also on the ballot. This slate in and of itself would make this a marquee year. However, what will render this upcoming 2022 election year momentous is that we will have a very important U.S. Senate Seat to fill. Richard Shelby will retire after 36 years in the United States Senate. It will be impossible to replace Senator Shelby. The amount of federal dollars he has secured for the Heart of Dixie is incomprehensible and irreplaceable. He will be remembered as the greatest senator in Alabama history. Seniority is paramount in Washington. It is everything. It took Senator Shelby awaiting 20 years before he became one of the major players in Washington. Therefore, Senator Shelby would be the first to tell you that it is imperative for Alabama’s future that we elect someone young to be his successor. If you send someone over 60 to the U.S. Senate, they will never have any real power. The political hierarchy of the senate will recognize that and place our senator on obscure committees. The best thing for us to do is to send a younger person to the Senate, and also one that is not an ideologue demagogue who is more interested in being on Fox News than bringing home the bacon. First on most lists is Katie Boyd Britt. She served as Senator Shelby’s Chief of Staff and is now the CEO of the Business Council of Alabama. She is only 39 years old and she would have the potential to be a power in Washington. Shelby likes her. Someone who will probably be in the race and will be one of the early frontrunners is Secretary of State John Merrill. He has served his two four-year terms as Secretary of State and is precluded from running for another term in that office. Therefore, he has to go somewhere. He is the best retail politician in the state and is the only statewide official with a real grassroots organization. Merrill will be a player and has the acumen and diligence to be an effective senator. Congressman Robert Aderholt would be the logical favorite to take Senator Shelby’s seat. However, with 24 years of seniority in the House, Congressman Aderholt is making the right decision for himself and our state by remaining in his House seat. PSC President, Twinkle Cavanaugh, would be an excellent person to succeed Shelby. She is popular and still young, but she will probably not be in the race. Former Trump Ambassador to Slovenia, Lynda Blanchard, has already announced that she will enter the race for Shelby’s U.S. Senate seat in 2022. She is from Montgomery and has come to the table with $5 million. The person who might run but would not be an effective senator is Huntsville Congressman Mo Brooks. He would be an albatross for our state. During his 10 years in Congress, Brooks has been an obstacle for Senator Shelby and Huntsville Mayor Tommy Battle as they have worked to build Huntsville’s Redstone Arsenal into the Science and Technology Capitol of Alabama and probably the nation. Brooks’ only mission is to be thought of as a right-wing extremist, who cares more about being a demagogue than representing and helping his district. If Brooks were to replace Shelby, it could be devastating to Alabama’s efforts to attract federal dollars or future economic prospects. It will be hard enough for Shelby’s predecessor to simply maintain everything Shelby has brought to Alabama. However, with Brooks in Shelby’s seat, Alabama might actually lose ground – not only the Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville, but also UAB in Birmingham, Maxwell-Gunter in Montgomery, and Fort Rucker in the Wiregrass. 2022 is going to be a big year in Alabama politics. See you next week. Steve Flowers is Alabama’s leading political columnist. His weekly column appears in over 60 Alabama newspapers. He served 16 years in the state legislature. Steve may be reached at www.steveflowers.us.
Steve Flowers: 2022 will be a big year for Alabama politics
All signs point to a Titanic political year in 2022. In fact, as I look back over the last six decades of my observations of Alabama politics, next year may be the most momentous. Most states elect their governors and legislators in presidential years. However, in the Heart of Dixie, we have our big election year in non-presidential years. Not only will we elect our governor to a four-year term, we will elect all of our constitutional officers like Attorney General, Agriculture Commissioner, Secretary of State, State Treasurer, State Auditor and Lt. Governor, as well as two seats on the State Public Service Commission and several seats on the State Supreme Court. More importantly, all 140 members of the Alabama State Legislature will be up for reelection. We have 105 members of the Alabama House of Representatives and 35 State Senators. In addition, all 67 sheriffs in the state are on the ballot in 2022. In many counties this is the most important race and the reason folks will show up to vote. All politics is local. Most campaign money spent in the 2022 elections by special interests will be spent in state legislative races. The Legislative Branch is inherently more powerful in Alabama than the Executive or Judicial Branches. All of our constitutional office holders are Republican. Attorney General, Steve Marshall, hails from Marshall County. He is in his first four-year-term. Therefore, he can and probably will run for a second term. He would be hard to beat in his bid for reelection in 2022. John McMillan can run for a second term as State Treasurer. However, he will be over 80 years old. He has had an illustrious career in state politics. First, as a state representative from Baldwin County, then as head of the Forestry Association, the State Conservation Director, then two terms as State Agriculture Commissioner, before being elected as State Treasurer. Speaking of Agriculture Commissioner, Rick Pate is doing a very good job in his first term and should have very little trouble being elected to a second term in 2022. This post is the most prominent and important office in the constitutional ranks besides governor. It oversees a large department with numerous duties. Agriculture is still Alabama’s number one economic industry. Secretary of State, John Merrill, is precluded from running for a third term. Merrill is the best retail politician in the state and has by far the best grassroots organization of any political figure. Merrill will probably join the fray of candidates vying for the U.S. Senate seat left vacant by Richard Shelby. If he has to drop back, he could move to either State Treasurer or Lt. Governor. The job of State Auditor will be on the ballot. Jim Zeigler, the current State Auditor, is thought of as somewhat of a maverick by Montgomery insiders. However, he is sly as a fox. Even though he knows the State Auditor has no real role in policy issues, he grabs headlines with his grandstanding. He is limited from running for Auditor again. It will be interesting to see if he chooses to run for something else at age 75. Lt. Governor Will Ainsworth is only 38 years old. The job of lieutenant governor has few duties other than to preside over the state senate. Most state senators think Ainsworth has been a quick study in learning the Senate Rules and they like him. There is no doubt that Ainsworth desires to run for Governor of Alabama. The biggest question of the upcoming 2022 momentous political year is whether Governor Kay Ivey will run for reelection. One school of thought has her going to the house at 78. The other is will she run and can she win? My prognostication is she will run and if she does, polls indicate she will win overwhelmingly. Again, it will be fun to watch. See you next week. Steve Flowers is Alabama’s leading political columnist. His weekly column appears in over 60 Alabama newspapers. He served 16 years in the state legislature. Steve may be reached at www.steveflowers.us.
Steve Flowers: Birmingham’s political inside man
Historically, political power in the state has rested in the rural counties. Birmingham has been the home of the “Big Mules,” where the money that fueled the gubernatorial campaigns came from, but very few Birmingham politicians have ascended to governor or U.S. Senator. Counties like Barbour and Cullman have been where governors are bred, not imperial Jefferson. Indeed, the small-town boys that ran for governor would demagogue and make fun of and run against the “Big Mules” of the Magic City, especially the village of Mountain Brook. Therefore, the legendary kingmakers in the state were the probate judges in the rural counties throughout the Heart of Dixie. The giants of Alabama political lore, Big Jim Folsom and George Wallace, won their races in the rural counties. They would run against the “got rocks,” Big Mules and silk-stocking Mountain Brook and Over the Mountain elite, so it was not surprising that Wallace nor Big Jim ever carried Jefferson County. Business, not politics, prevailed in Jefferson County. Therefore, Birmingham did not yield as many inside political men as might be expected of the major city of the state. However, there has been one go-to political kingmaker in Birmingham in my generation. Joe Fuller has been the go-to man to see in the Magic City, especially in Republican primaries. Joe was proudly born and raised in Birmingham and knows the city like the back of his hand. Fuller has been a successful, independent insurance agent his entire career and has led the Alabama Independent Insurance Agents Association for decades. He began his civic political involvement in his 20’s through the legendary Birmingham Jaycees. He, like a good many of Birmingham’s civic and political leaders, cut their teeth in the Birmingham Jaycees. This group were the original founders of Birmingham’s Legion Field. The Birmingham Jaycees were the training ground for the leaders of the city. Some of Fuller’s contemporaries in the 1960s and early 70s were Fox DeFuniak, J. Mason Davis, David Wheeler, Julian Smith, George McMillan, and George Siebels. The Birmingham Jaycees became the springboard for George Siebels to be elected Mayor of Birmingham in 1965. Joe Fuller was instrumental in helping to orchestrate Siebel’s victory. Thus, began Joe Fuller’s reign as the kingmaker of Birmingham politics. Fuller would start candidates off in his stately home on top of a hill in the historic Redmont neighborhood in Birmingham. He would have a gathering of 20 to 30 at an elegant meal, which he primarily prepared. His first major horse he bet on was George McMillan. He helped George get elected to the legislature and then helped mastermind McMillan’s historical upset of state senator George Lewis Bailes. He then helped manage his successful run for Lt. Governor and then saw him almost beat George Wallace for Governor in 1974. It has been my honor and privilege to have known Joe for almost 40 years and have had the opportunity to be invited to his great political gatherings over those years. I have watched him as he helped launch the careers of Birmingham Congressman Spencer Bachus, who served in the legislature before serving in Congress 20 years. Joe was extremely close to legendary state representative John Hawkins. He has been a loyal supporter of iconic State Senator Jabo Waggoner over all of his almost five decades in the state legislature. Joe Fuller has been and was one of the early supporters of my great friend and legislative colleague, Mike Hill. Mike served three decades in the House from Shelby County and is now the State Banking Commissioner. Fuller has been close-to another longtime veteran state legislator, Jim Carnes. Jim has been at almost all of Joe’s political dinner parties as he helped launch the political careers of legislators Paul DeMarco, David Wheeler, and Dan Roberts. Joe was instrumental in the election of state senator Steve Windom as Lt. Governor. Joe’s house was Windom’s first stop. Joe was one of the founders of the renowned Mid-Alabama Republican Club, which meets monthly in Vestavia. It is a sought-after invitation to speak for all aspiring statewide Republican candidates, as are his dinner parties. The first place that Jeff Sessions came to when he first began his political career as Attorney General of Alabama was Joe Fuller’s home. Joe supported Jeff Sessions during his entire 20-year career in the United States Senate. Jeff will never forget it. A good many of Alabama’s political leaders have found their way to the home of “ole” Joe Fuller atop Red Mountain over the last 40 to 50 years. See you next week. Steve Flowers is Alabama’s leading political columnist. His weekly column appears in over 60 Alabama newspapers. He served 16 years in the state legislature. Steve may be reached at www.steveflowers.us.
Steve Flowers: Will legislature allow Alabamians to vote on gambling revenue for state
In 1998 Governor Don Siegelman ran for Governor of Alabama on a platform of proposing that his administration would enact legislation creating a state lottery. It would be patterned after Georgia’s lottery, which gave the bulk of the proceeds to an educational fund. That was over two decades ago. Our neighboring state of Georgia has reaped billions of dollars from their lottery in the last three decades, which has allowed them to outdistance us by a country mile in educating their children. A good many of those Georgia students attend college in their state free under the Hope Scholarship Program funded with these lottery dollars. A substantial amount of these funds going to Georgia students come from Alabamians who buy Georgia Lottery tickets. Siegelman proceeded to push this lottery program through the legislature and placed it on the ballot for a referendum in 1999. It was poised to pass. However, in the waning days of the referendum campaign, the Mississippi Choctaw Indian Gambling Syndicate placed millions of dollars of misleading information and ads into the state to defeat the referendum avoid competition. They narrowly defeated the Alabama referendum. The state has lost untold billions in revenues to our sister states of Georgia, Mississippi, Tennessee, and Florida in the last 20 years. You can bet your bottom dollar that if a lottery referendum were put on the ballot now or in 2022, it would pass in a New York minute. Even the most conservative folks in our state would vote for it, if for only one reason – they are sick and tired of their money going to our neighboring states to fund their schools, roads, and prisons while we go wanting. Last year, one of the legislature’s most respected and influential members, Steve Clouse (R-Ozark), offered a lottery bill. It might have passed, however, he acquiesced to Governor Kay Ivey who wisely said let’s look at all the alternatives. She did the right thing to look at the big picture. A simple lottery is outdated. We missed the boat 20 years ago. Gambling has evolved technologically like the rest of the world. If there was big money for the state to garner 20 years ago, it has multiplied by more than 20 times in those years. Therefore, the Governor says, “Let’s look at the big picture and if we are going to do it, let’s do it right and get a really good bite of the apple.” She appointed one of the most stellar blue-ribbon panel of Alabamians ever assembled to study all aspects, parameters, and revenues available from gambling. Governor Ivey’s study group on gambling policy came back with their recommendations in December. Their study shows that Alabama could raise between $500 million and $700 million from a lottery, casinos, and sport betting if voters approved a constitutional amendment expanding gambling in the state. The group said that gambling will work in Alabama and their conclusion was that the advantages outweigh the disadvantages. The advantage would be tremendous new revenue for the state plus creation of new jobs. A disadvantage would be the costs surrounding mental health, social and legal problems from those that develop gambling disorders. They found that 60% of Alabama’s adult population would likely participate in expanded gambling and about 3% would become compulsive gamblers which would cost the state. The study group found that a lottery would raise an estimated $200 to $300 million. In addition, casinos could raise $300 to $400 million. The new gambling revenue could raise as much as one-third of the General Fund budget. The expansion of legalized gambling could create 19,000 jobs in Alabama. In conclusion, they were adamant that there should be a regulatory authority to regulate, administer, and enforce the laws. This regulatory commission should make sure laws and regulations are adhered to and should be flexible, protective of consumers and responsive to technology, and be competitive in payouts unlike the current Indian casino monopoly in the state. This Creek Indian Gambling Syndicate has garnered a lot of political muscle in the state legislature and they will be the largest obstacle that will stand in the way of a constitutional amendment reaching the voters in Alabama. Hopefully, the legislature will see fit to allow the people of Alabama the right to vote on whether or not they want to reap the rewards of gigantic gambling dollars. See you next week. Steve Flowers is Alabama’s leading political columnist. His weekly column appears in over 60 Alabama newspapers. He served 16 years in the state legislature. Steve may be reached at www.steveflowers.us.
Steve Flowers: Big issues facing Alabama legislature
The 2021 legislative session has begun. It will be a monumental and difficult session. Due to COVID restrictions, the logistics of just meeting will be a task. House members will be spread out all over the Statehouse to adhere to distancing requirements. It is still uncertain as to how the Press and lobbyists’ accommodations will be handled. A new virtual voting console system has been installed to allow for House members to vote since all will not be on the House floor. There are a myriad of issues that have to be addressed. Last year’s session was abbreviated and adjourned before the halfway point due to the pandemic outbreak. Therefore, it has been almost a year since the legislature has met. There are hundreds of local bills that have to be addressed for cities and counties. Alabama’s archaic constitution does not allow for home rule. All power rests with the legislature. Therefore, local governments have to come with hat-in-hand to the legislature to make vital decisions. There are also cursory but urgent economic development incentive laws that need updating. The State Senate led by Senator Greg Reed (R-Jasper) has made a priority of passing legislation that will limit and probably prohibit lawsuits against business stemming from COVID-19. The paramount issues will be Reapportionment, Gambling, and Prisons. The major issue facing the legislature is the prison problem. The governor and legislature have been grappling with the prison problem for several years. Given the legislative absence, Governor Kay Ivey has made executive decisions that some legislators are not totally enthralled with, especially regarding prisons. The Governor thought they were on course to addressing the state’s overcrowded, understaffed, and violent state prisons. However, the U.S. Department of Justice sued the state in the U.S. District Court in Birmingham in December. The suit alleges that Alabama violates the constitutional rights of prisoners by failure to protect them from assaults and abuse from other inmates, excessive force by correctional officers, and failure to provide safe and sanitary conditions. This litigation is not unique to Alabama. The Justice Department has made a practice of overshadowing state prisons. Other states have been sued over similar situations. Overcrowding seems to be the over-riding culprit. Federal Courts have ordered states to reduce their prison populations because of overcrowding. California was given this mandate. Alabama prisons hold more than 15,000 prisoners in facilities designed for fewer than 10,000. Governor Ivey has proposed building three men’s prisons and replacing many of the 13 current prisons. She faces contention and opposition from legislators on this issue. She now will have another Big Brother looking over her shoulder, the U.S. Justice Department and the federal courts. Governor Ivey’s response to the federal suit is that it is premature and the state has been striving to resolve the crisis. Indeed, the Legislature and the Alabama Department of Corrections has stepped up recruiting of correctional officers and increased pay and bonuses to address the staff shortage. It has cracked down on contraband with a program called “Restore Order,” which uses predawn raids by law enforcement officers to search for weapons, drugs, cell phones, and other prohibited items. Gov. Ivey said the new prisons will have better security and better technology and will allow for more education and rehabilitation programs. The new prisons will also allow for modern surveillance cameras and convex mirrors that can detect violence problems. Hopefully, the Governor and Legislature will address the omnipresent issue of gambling. Alabama has grappled with gaming for decades. Most of the concentration has focused on whether or not to have a state lottery. While we sat idly by and twiddled our thumbs, every other state in America except the Mormon state of Utah has created a lottery and more. Every state around us, Tennessee, Georgia, Florida, and Mississippi have lotteries. Mississippi funds their entire government to a large degree by every form of gambling imaginable. In the face of honesty and fairness, the legislature should clarify and rectify the wrong done to the gaming centers at Macon and Greene counties. The citizens of these two Black Belt counties legally and rightfully voted for a Constitutional Amendment to allow them to have gambling and electronic bingo. It is a flagrant disregard of the Constitution for their facilities to be thwarted in their efforts to proceed with their rights and ability to supplement their county’s needs. The legislature will need to remove the stranglehold and monopoly that the Indian Gambling Syndicate has on our state in order to proceed with allowing people to vote on gaming. See you next week. Steve Flowers is Alabama’s leading political columnist. His weekly column appears in over 60 Alabama newspapers. He served 16 years in the legislature. Steve may be reached at www.steveflowers.us.
Steve Flowers: Outstanding class of freshman state senators
Outstanding Class of Freshman State Senators The 2021 Regular Legislative Session begins next week. Over the years, I have observed some outstanding classes of freshman legislators. Some stand out more than others, and occasionally you have a very stellar class. My observation is that this freshman class of state senators is a class to remember and watch. There are two Democrats and 10 Republicans in the freshman class of state senators, who were elected and sworn into office in November of 2018. The ten-member class of Republican state senators is a sterling group and includes Sam Givhan of Huntsville, Will Barfoot of Pike Road/Montgomery, Dan Roberts of Mountain Brook/Jefferson/Shelby, Andrew Jones of Cherokee/Etowah, Garlan Gudger of Cullman, Chris Elliott of Baldwin, David Sessions and Jack Williams both of Mobile, and Randy Price of Opelika, along with veteran state senator Tom Butler who has returned as a freshman after a decade hiatus from politics. This group may stay together in the Alabama State Senate for years to come. They are wise enough to realize that being one of 35 members of the state senate is more powerful and has more effect over public policy than aspiring to Congress or a secondary statewide office – especially if you are one of the 10 Republican senators mentioned above. You are one of 25 who literally can control the mechanizations and budget of the Alabama government. The only post more powerful is governor. One of the leaders of this 10-member Republican freshman state senate class is Sam Givhan. He is witty and has dubbed the class in football recruiting terminology. According to Givan, there are seven true freshmen, Barfoot, Roberts, Gudger, Jones, Elliott, Price, and he. Two junior college transfers, Jack Williams and David Sessions, who moved from the House to the Senate, and one Red Shirt, Tom Butler. Senator Givhan is a lawyer by profession and served as chairman of the Madison County Republican Party prior to being elected to the senate. He could be considered a state senate legacy. His grandfather, the late Walter Givhan, Sr., was a legendary state senator from the Black Belt in the 1950s and 1960s. Senator Will Barfoot won his seat convincingly in 2018. He worked his Montgomery/Elmore/Crenshaw district the old-fashioned way with diligent one-on-one politicking. It paid off. He carried every box in his state senate district. He can stay in that district until the cows come home. He was actually born and raised in Pike Road before it ever dreamed of being the fastest growing town in Alabama. Will is a lawyer by profession and a dedicated family man. He and his wife, Kathy, have five children. Senator Dan Roberts of Mountain Brook is personable and honest. He has had a successful career in business and is serving in the state senate for the right reasons. Senator Andrew Jones is one of the youngest members of this class. He has tremendous potential and is doing an excellent job. Similar to Barfoot, Andrew really worked his district and knows his constituents well. Garlan Gudger is also young. He represents Cullman and a large part of northwest Alabama. He knows his folks in Cullman well. He has the potential to be a powerful senator. Cullman has produced some influential senators over the years, especially the St. John family. Senator Chris Elliott may have the most promise and ability of this group. The Baldwin County area he represents is very different from the one he grew up in. He knows the needs and problems inherent in representing the fastest growing county in the state. He was a very effective County Commissioner in Baldwin County prior to ascending to the senate. Senator David Sessions of Grand Bay in Mobile County was one of the most popular members of the House before moving to the Senate. He and his brother operate a successful farming business. He knows his area of Mobile County and represents it well. Senator Jack Williams of Mobile is quietly effective. He is unassuming and maybe the most successful businesswise of this illustrious group of freshmen. Senator Randy Price of Opelika/Lee County represents a sprawling East Alabama district. He is a former Lee County Commissioner. His wife, Oline, is the Revenue Commissioner of Lee County. Senator Tom Butler from Huntsville is the red shirt member of this class. Tom served for decades in the legislature during the 1980s and 1990s. We served together in the legislature during that era. I have never served with a more diligent and respected member. Tom is a pharmacist by profession and has not aged much over the years. He looks the same as when we were freshmen together in 1982. This group of senators is not only outstanding, they are also affable and congenial. See you next week. Steve Flowers is Alabama’s leading political columnist. His weekly column appears in over 60 Alabama newspapers. He served 16 years in the state legislature. Steve may be reached at www.steveflowers.us.
