Tuscaloosa federal building renamed in honor of Richard Shelby
On Friday, former U.S. Senator Richard Shelby (R-Alabama) was back home in Tuscaloosa, where the courthouse and federal building were renamed in his honor. Judge L. Scott Coogler said that Shelby “has touched each and every one of our lives.” Alabama Governor Kay Ivey said, “I am proud to join this historic occasion to pay tribute to Richard Shelby.” Ivey applauded the naming of the Courthouse in Shelby’s honor. “What an appropriate way to honor Richard Shelby,” Ivey said. “He laid the groundwork for our state’s economic development.” “In March, the Alabama Legislature held a joint session to honor Richard Shelby,” Ivey continued. “Thank you to Richard Shelby for his dedicated service to the State of Alabama.” Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall said, “It is a privilege to be here today to celebrate the life of this man.” Marshall applauded the many projects that Shelby brought to the state, “What has truly been achieved far exceeds any dollar amount.” “Senator, thank you for your service, and may God bless you,” Marshall said. Federal judge and former Alabama Attorney General Bill Pryor said, “In 2009, I was here to celebrate the groundbreaking of this Courthouse. I thank Senator Shelby for his leadership for making this building possible. He could not be here then because he was in Washington attending to the nation’s business.” “If there is anything more important than securing the peace and prosperity of the nation, it is the rule of law,” stated Pryor. Pryor said that a federal courthouse secures the rights of the people every day. “Senator Shelby has recommended the names of many talented lawyers who have served and continue to serve as federal judges,” said Pryor. The judges applauded Shelby for “his lifelong commitment to defending the Constitution of the United States.” “Thank you for being a friend to the courts of the federal judiciary,” Pryor said. U.S. Senator Katie Britt (R-Alabama) said, “I have the best job of the day. I get to introduce Senator Shelby. It is truly an honor to introduce such a legendary Alabamian.” Britt thanked Senator Shelby “for his vision and his determination.” Katie Britt was an intern for Shelby, who later joined his staff, rising to the level of Chief of Staff. She returned to public life in 2022, winning Shelby’s open seat after he retired. “At a time when so many people wanted to serve in order to generate a headline, you genuinely wanted to serve,” Britt said. Sen. Shelby thanked the Governor, Britt, and everyone else for attending Friday’s event. “Thank you all very, very much for this great honor,” Shelby said Shelby’s grandchildren then unveiled a portrait of the Senator that will hang in the Courthouse. Shelby represented Alabama in the U.S. Senate from 1987 to 2022. He represented Alabama’s Seventh Congressional District from 1979 to 1986. He represented Tuscaloosa in the Alabama Senate from 1970 to 1978. Before becoming an elected official, Shelby worked as an assistant Alabama Attorney General and prosecutor for the City of Tuscaloosa. To connect with the author of this story or to comment, email brandonmreporter@gmail.com
Mid-Alabama Republican Club discusses congressional redistricting issue
On Saturday, attorney Bert Jordan briefed the influential Mid-Alabama Republican Club (MARC) on the pending federal litigation over Alabama’s disputed congressional redistricting. On Monday morning, the State of Alabama will defend a congressional redistricting plan passed by the Alabama Legislature in July’s second 2023 special session. Plaintiffs have challenged that plan as violating Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act of 1965. Hoover City Councilman John Lyda is the President of MARC. “Burt Jordan has practiced law here for 43 years,” Lyda said. “His law firm, Wallace, Jordan, Ratliff, & Brandt, represents the City of Hoover, and I am very grateful for that.” Lyda said Jordan represented Perry Hooper Sr. in his disputed Chief Justice of the Alabama Supreme Court race in 1992. He has been counsel for the Alabama Republican party. He also served as County chairman from 1995 to 1999. Jordan criticized the media coverage, particularly that of al.com in this case, as inaccurate. “I know al.com could do a better job,” he stated. “In early 2022, a U.S. District Court consisting of three judges issued an injunction because the 2021 Congressional redistricting likely violated section 2 of the Voting Rights Act,” Jordan said. “Section 5 was struck down in 2012 in a decision by Chief Justice John Roberts. John Roberts has received a lot of criticism for that decision.” Jordan explained that in 1982, the City of Mobile’s city council districts were upheld by the Supreme Court. The city had three council districts that were voted on city-wide, but no Black representative had been elected to the council, even though the city was 33% Black. The Supreme Court found that the Mobile redistricting did not violate Section 2 because there was no intent to prevent a Black person from being elected. It just hadn’t happened. Following the Mobile decision, Section 2 of the VRA was rewritten by Congress from showing intent to a results outcome. Jordan explained 27% of Alabamians are Black. The plaintiffs argue that based on the results test, then two out of the seven congressional districts should be majority Black. “Nothing in this section establishes a right to have members of a protected class elected in numbers equal to their proportion in the population,” Jordan stated. Jordan said that a key Supreme Court decision here was Thornburg v Gingles. “The Gingles factors: First, the minority group must be sufficiently large and geographically compact to constitute a majority in a reasonably configured district. Second, the minority group must show that it is politically cohesive. Third, the minority must demonstrate that the White majority votes sufficiently as a bloc to enable it……..to defeat the minority’s preferred candidate. Finally, a plaintiff who demonstrates the three preconditions must also show, under the “totality for the circumstances,” that the political process is not “equally open” to minority voters.” Jordan said that the Court ruled that the 2021 Alabama congressional redistricting was “likely a violation of section 2 of the voting rights act. That is why we are where we are today.” Jordan explained that there are three separate lawsuits challenging the 2021 congressional redistricting that have all been wrapped together into one suit. Those plaintiffs are Milligan from Montgomery, Castor from Mobile, and state Senator Bobby Singleton from Hale County. “They say that the Legislature’s remedial plan does not comply with Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act,” Jordan said. “It comes down to the racial composition of (Congressional) District 2. The complaint of the plaintiffs is that (the remedial congressional redistricting map passed by the Legislature in July) is not going to remedy the problem.” The Legislature increased the number of Black voters in CD2 to almost 40%. Jordan said that Milligan and the other plaintiffs will argue that “the Legislature did not produce two majority Black Districts”; thus, that violates the results test of Section 2 of the VRA. “The way the state is defending this is important,” Jordan said. “The state is defending this on the grounds that it united the Black Belt and is preserving communities of interest while minimizing the number of county splits. The counterpoint is this, as seen from Terri Sewell, is that Alabama has defied the Supreme Court.” “The Supreme Court has ruled that the 2021 redistricting likely violated Section 2,” Jordan said. “There has never been a final ruling. The state is arguing that there has never been a final judgment, only a preliminary ruling, so the burden of proof is still on Milligan, Castor, and Singleton.” “We don’t know how that will play out exactly,” in the hearing on Monday, Jordan said. “There will be a lot of legal discussion between the judges and the attorneys.” Jordan said that the VRA had been misused at times in the past for gerrymandering. “One of the ways that it was misused was in drawing bizarrely shaped districts such as North Carolina District 12 (in 1990),” Jordan said. That redistricting snaked through multiple counties in North Carolina, connecting communities of color into a majority Black district. One consequence is that it made it easier for Republicans to win the neighboring districts. The Supreme Court rejected the gerrymandered District 12, Jordan explained. Jordan said that that decision was then used as a precedent in a 1990s case that he and Ferris Stephens brought challenging what was then Alabama state board of education district 4, where Jefferson County was in a school district with just the Black neighborhood of Tuscaloosa connected by a narrow lasso. The Court overturned the school board redistricting because it violated the North Carolina District 12 decision. Jordan said that Singleton has presented a map to the Court where Jefferson County is kept as a whole but is connected with Bibb to Hale and Perry Counties in the Blackbelt. Jordan said that this is dilution and thus would not pass legal scrutiny. Jordan said that the Court has declined to eliminate partisan gerrymandering. “The Supreme Court ruled in 2019 that it couldn’t resolve partisan gerrymandering because it can’t make the decision on what is too much and what is fair,” Jordan said. “There is a lot of elite thinking that partisanship is distasteful. It may be, but it may be the best thing that
Mountain Brook resident Jessica Garrison named one of ‘Washington’s most powerful women’
Mountain Brook, Alabama, seems a long way from Washington, D.C., but one resident is making her name known in the tech world. Jessica Medeiros Garrison was recently listed on the “Washingtonian” magazine’s list of “Washington’s Most Powerful Women,” Village Living reported. Garrison works as vice president of government affairs for Clearview AI, a facial recognition tech company. She was recognized under the category of lobbying and advocacy for her role in helping to sell Clearview AI’s technology. Clearview AI is based out of New York City. The company has a database of more than 10 billion images taken from social media, websites, news articles, criminal databases, and other public sources. The company uses its search engine technology to help law enforcement and government agencies identify suspects, solve crimes and provide justice to victims. Clearview AI was named to Time magazine’s inaugural list of the “100 Most Influential Companies” in 2021. “We are now recognized as the most accurate algorithm in the Western world,” Garrison said. “There are trillions of publicly available images on the Internet, which provide a tremendous capability for identifying investigative leads and clues to solve crimes and save victims,” she said. “This resonates with me on such a deep level — that this broad and wide-sweeping technology can actually provide a path to setting wrongs right.” When asked about being named one of Washington’s most powerful women, Garrison stated, “I was completely surprised when a friend forwarded me a photo of the announcement article,” she said. “I am humbled, and a bit overwhelmed.” “The fact that my work and my calling are making a difference fuels me to work even harder,” she said. “When you are fortunate enough to be in a position to effect change, you assume a certain measure of responsibility,” she said. “I take my opportunities to influence opinions and to help shape outcomes seriously, envisioning the outcome for the people who will be most impacted.” After graduating from the University of Alabama in 1997, Garrison served as director of legislative affairs and public information in the office of Bill Pryor while he was Alabama Attorney General. She graduated from the University of Alabama School of Law in 2000. Garrison also served as executive director of the Republican Attorneys General Association and managed Luther Strange’s 2010 campaign for Alabama Attorney General. Although originally born in Rhode Island, Garrison loves Mountain Brook. “I feel like Mountain Brook is home, and I love it,” Garrison said. “Mountain Brook is all about the people. Not only are they kind and caring, but also these are people who achieve in the world. They’re in medicine and business, in law and entrepreneurship. They constantly inspire me as leaders and visionaries who aim to make the world a better place.”
Steve Flowers: We now have a very youthful federal judiciary in Alabama
Our senior senator, Richard Shelby, has left an indelible legacy and imprint on our state. Every corner of the state has been the recipient of his prowess at bringing home the bacon to the Heart of Dixie. Every university has enjoyed a largesse of federal dollars. He has made the Huntsville Redstone Arsenal one of the most renowned high technology regions in the nation, not to mention placing the FBI’s second home in Huntsville. Shelby’s accomplishments for Alabama would take a book to enumerate. However, what is not universally known is that Senator Richard Shelby has transformed the federal judiciary in Alabama for years to come. During the entire eight-year presidency of Barack Obama, by nature, we had some attrition in our federal judiciary in all three regions, Northern, Middle, and Southern Districts. Even though President Obama sought to appoint Democratic judges throughout the state, Senator Shelby and Senator Jeff Sessions thwarted all Democratic appointees and held these cherished and powerful judgeships vacant. Shelby and Sessions were hopeful that one day there would be a Republican president coupled with a Republican Senate majority, and they would be able to appoint Republican jurists to the federal bench in Alabama. That happened when Donald Trump became president. Senator Sessions had parted with his senate seat to become attorney general, so that left Senator Shelby to select and get confirmed a host of new, young federal judges in Alabama. Shelby assigned his loyal and brilliant Chief of Staff, Katie Boyd Britt, the job of vetting potential federal judgeships. She and Shelby chose an outstanding cadre of young, well-educated, extremely qualified, moderately conservative men and women to sit on the federal bench in Alabama. This group is stellar and will be the majority of federal judges for the next 25 to 30 years. This coup of appointing young, conservative, extremely capable judges to the federal bench in Alabama may be one of Senator Richard Shelby’s greatest legacies. Shelby had Andrew Brasher first appointed to the Middle District of Alabama. However, soon thereafter, an opening occurred on the Eleventh Circuit, and so Shelby had President Trump appoint Brasher to the higher appeals court. Prior to Brasher’s appointment to the Middle District, he practiced law with Bradley Arant in Birmingham. He was solicitor general and a law clerk for Judge Bill Pryor. Judge Brasher is a graduate of Samford University and Harvard Law School. Senator Shelby had President Trump appoint Anna Manasco as a federal judge in the Northern District of Alabama. Judge Manasco, like Judge Brasher, practiced law in Birmingham with Bradley Arant prior to her federal appointment. She graduated with honors from Emory University before earning her law degree from Yale Law School. Shelby aligned with President Trump to appoint Corey Maze for a seat on the federal bench in the Northern District. Judge Maze was a prosecutor for the State of Alabama Attorney General’s office. He is a summa cum laude graduate of Auburn University and a graduate of Georgetown Law. Senator Shelby had President Trump appoint Liles Burke to a federal judgeship in the Northern District. Burke was an Associate Judge of the Alabama Court of Criminal Appeals before his federal appointment. He obtained his undergraduate and law degrees from the University of Alabama. Annemarie Axon is another Trump and Shelby anointed appointee for the Northern District of Alabama. Judge Axon practiced law in Birmingham before her appointment. She, like all of the other Northern District appointees, is extremely well qualified. Axon also obtained her undergraduate and law degrees from the University of Alabama. Austin Huffaker, Jr. of Montgomery, was chosen by Shelby and Trump for a federal judgeship in the Middle District. He practiced law in Montgomery prior to his appointment. He has an engineering degree from Vanderbilt and earned his law degree from the University of Alabama School of Law. Also appointed by Shelby and Trump to the Middle District is Emily Marks of Montgomery. Judge Marks practiced law in Montgomery prior to her appointment. She is a graduate of Spring Hill College in Mobile and the University of Alabama School of Law. Jeffrey Beaverstock was appointed to a federal judgeship in the Southern District. He practiced law in Mobile and is a graduate of the Citadel and the University of Alabama School of Law. Terry Moorer was appointed by President Trump and confirmed by the senate for the Southern District. He was previously an assistant U.S. Attorney and is a graduate of Huntington College and the University of Alabama School of Law. This host of federal jurists in Alabama will be one of Senator Richard Shelby’s lasting legacies. 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.
Federal court considers bathroom use by transgender student
A student has the right to use the bathroom that corresponds to his gender identity, a lawyer told a federal court Thursday, arguing that the issue is about the right of transgender students to “equal dignity.” But the Florida school district that’s appealing a lower court order in favor of the transgender boy told three judges on the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals that they should overturn the ruling and let the school district restrict students to the bathroom matching their at-birth sex to protect the privacy of other students. The case involves Drew Adams, who has since graduated from Nease High School outside Jacksonville. Adams transitioned from a girl to a boy before his freshman year, and used the boys’ room at the Ponte Vedra, Florida, school for a few weeks before several girls complained. Administrators barred him from the boys’ restroom and instead steered him toward single-user gender neutral restrooms. A lower court last year overturned that policy after a bench trial, ordering the St. Johns County school district to let Adams use the boys’ restroom. The 11th Circuit could become the first federal appeals court to issue a binding ruling on the issue, which has arisen in several states. The ruling would cover schools in Florida, Georgia and Alabama, and could carry the issue to the U.S. Supreme Court. The 4th Circuit had ruled in favor of a transgender Virginia student, but the U.S. Supreme Court sent the case back down for further consideration after the U.S. Department of Education, under President Donald Trump, withdrew guidance that said federal law called for treating transgender students equally, including allowing them to use the bathroom that matches their gender identity. All the parties in the Atlanta courtroom Thursday were aware of the possibility that the ruling will set an important precedent. Lawyer Tara Borelli of Lambda Legal, who represents Adams, said after the hearing she was hoping schools will get “a clear statement that the law requires that transgender students be treated equally.” But Circuit Judge Bill Pryor hammered Borelli, asking her how the judges could uphold the lower court ruling without setting the stage to allow anyone to ask for access to any bathroom or finding all sex-based distinctions illegal. “These rationales apply to any form of sex-based segregation,” Pryor said. Borelli, though, repeatedly underscored that Adams is not seeking to abolish distinctions between men and women. “This case is only about me, a boy, being allowed to use the boys’ bathroom,” Adams said after the hearing, echoing what Borelli told Pryor. Adams, now a student at the University of Central Florida, told reporters that he’s never had a problem using a men’s bathroom. “Before this became an issue, nobody knew who I was, nobody cared what bathroom I used,” Adams said. “Most people when they use the bathroom, don’t look twice at who’s in there with them. So, this really wasn’t an issue until the school board made it an issue.” A lawyer for St. Johns County urged judges to reverse the ruling and uphold the policy restricting students to the bathroom of their at-birth sex, saying the trial court judge overstepped. “Differences between the sexes are real and it necessitates this kind of separation between the sexes,” lawyer Jeff Slanker told judges. “This has always been the way it’s been done.” Judge Beverly Martin repeatedly asked Slanker if he could provide any specific complaints that spurred the policy. Slanker could not, saying the school district acted “proactively” to protect students’ privacy interests. The trial judge rejected this argument, finding that Adams would use a stall and that no breach of privacy would occur. Borelli told judges the district’s policy would “heap discrimination on transgender students.” “There is no recognized right in the law to not have to share space with transgender students,” she argued. Follow Jeff Amy on Twitter at http://twitter.com/jeffamy. Republished with the Permission of the Associated Press.
Five things you need to know about Tom Parker
Now that the runoff elections are over, voters are turning their attention to the November General Election only 90 days away. Associate Justice Tom Parker beat out former chief justice Lyn Stuart in the June 5 primary election with almost 52 percent of the vote. Now he moves to the General Election, facing Democratic nominee Judge Bob Vance. With that in mind, here are the five things you need to know about Tom Parker: 1. He attended some of most prestigious schools in the country, and traveled to Brazil to study. Parker attended Dartmouth College in New Hampshire, and received his J.D. from Vanderbilt University school of law in Tennessee. According to his campaign bio, he was also a Rotary International Fellowship recipient and attended the University of Sao Paulo School of Law, in Sao Paulo, Brazil, where he was the first foreign student in Brazil’s most prestigious law school. 2. He’s held numerous positions in different courts across the state Parker has most recently served as Alabama’s Associate Justice, a position he’s held since 2004; but has also held numerous positions across the state including: Deputy Administrative Director of Courts, General Counsel for the Alabama court system, Director of the Alabama Judicial College, and Legal Adviser to the Chief Justice under Roy Moore. 3. He founded the Alabama Family Alliance, now the Alabama Policy Institute The Alabama Family Alliance, now the Alabama Policy Institute, was founded by Parker in 1989; he also served as the think tanks first Executive Director. “The Alabama Policy Institute is an independent, nonpartisan, nonprofit research and educational organization dedicated to strengthening free enterprise, defending limited government, and championing strong families,” API’s mission statement reads. 4. He served as an Assistant Attorney General under Jeff Sessions and Bill Pryor. According to his bio on the Alabama Judicial System’s website, Parker served as an assistant Attorney General under both Jeff Sessions and Bill Pryor. “As an Assistant Attorney General, he handled death penalty cases, criminal appeals, and constitutional litigation,” the bio reads. “He has extensive experience in writing appellate briefs and with oral arguments before the Supreme Court and the Court of Criminal Appeals.” 5. He is a longtime friend and ally of former Alabama Chief Justice Roy Moore Parker served under Moore as a Legal Adviser, and has been described by some as “Moore- light.” “He hasn’t been directly involved in Parker’s campaign. But neither has Parker sought to put any distance between him and Moore,” the Associated Press reported. “Parker contends Moore was wrongfully suspended in 2016, after an ethics panel ruled he was urging probate judges to defy the Supreme Court’s legalization of same-sex marriage. He says Moore was treated unfairly because of his Ten Commandments fight.”
Councilman accuses Fairhope Mayor Karin Wilson of violating state law
Fairhope City Councilman Kevin Boone has accused Mayor Karin Wilson of violating state law after she used the city’s communication system to display a blog post pushing the her version of a petition to change the city’s form of government. Boone said he submitted evidence in early July of what he thinks is a violation of Alabama state law to Baldwin County District Attorney Bob Wilters. “The paperwork has been sent in to the proper authorities to do an investigation,” Boone told WABF. “Whether or not it’s going to be done, I don’t know.” “I did this not so much as a councilman, but as Kevin Boone,” he continued, emphasizing that he did not take action on behalf of the council, but as a private citizen. When two petitions offering two different changes to Fairhope’s form of city government began circulating in June Wilson used the city’s Everbridge communication system, to display a blog post pushing her version of a petition to change the city’s form of government. According to the Fairhope municipal website, “this system enables us to provide you with critical information quickly in a variety of situations, such as severe weather, unexpected road closures, missing persons and events happening in your area.” According to Boone, and The Courier, this violates several Alabama laws including Alabama Code Title 17-17-4 which states: “Any person who attempts to use his or her official authority or position for the purpose of influencing the vote or political action of any person shall be guilty, upon conviction, of a Class C felony.” Class C felonies in Alabama carry a sentence of up to 10 years in state prison. “Section 17-17-5 goes further: “No person in the employment of the State of Alabama, a county, a city, a local school board, or any other governmental agency, whether classified or unclassified, shall use any state, county, city, local school board, or other governmental agency funds, property, or time, for any political activities.” “According to the subsection, political activities include: “a. Making contributions to or contracting with any entity which engages in any form of political communication, including communications which mention the name of a political candidate. “b. Engaging in or paying for public opinion polling. “c. Engaging in or paying for any form of political communication, including communications which mention the name of a political candidate. “d. Engaging in or paying for any type of political advertising in any medium. “e. Phone calling for any political purpose. “f. Distributing political literature of any type. “g. Providing any type of in-kind help or support to or for a political candidate.” “17-17-5 goes on to state that “It shall also be unlawful for any officer or employee to coerce or attempt to coerce any subordinate employee to work in any capacity in any political campaign or cause. Wilson responded to The Courier‘s reports, saying “Supporting a referendum for a vote by a legislative body or by voters is NOT considered a ‘political activity.’ Regardless, there were no public funds used nor the improper use of public property.” She then attached a “2003 Alabama Attorney General’s Opinion involving whether public school systems and colleges could expend public funds to advocate on behalf of ballot initiatives and a 2015 circuit court ruling involving the Baldwin County Board of Education’s advocacy for the Build Baldwin Now campaign,” the report continued. The Attorney General at the time, Bill Pryor, ruled that state law did not forbid the activity. No word has been reported as to whether or not the district attorney’s office will investigate. Wilson under fire Wilson has been under fire from the City Council repeatedly this year. In March, Wilson received an email from Fairhope Police Chief Joseph Petties, after a controversial hiring decision she made in February without the council, or police chief’s approval, later retracting the hire. Wilson again came under fire in May with Fairhope’s Financial Advisory Committee (FAC), after sending an e-mail to committee chairman Chuck Zunk telling him the city budget was ultimately her responsibility, and that she would let the committee know if and when she needed their input. Earlier in June, Petties announced his retirement at a city council meeting after saying Wilson bullied him and made false accusations against him. In an unanticipated turn of events, council members emphatically tore up Petties’s resignation letter, refusing to accept his resignation. They said they would look into whether or not the council could pursue efforts to pry police supervisory power from Wilson.
Steve Flowers: Alabama will do just fine under Donald Trump
Alabama is going to fare wall under President Donald Trump. There is an old adage that says, “Those that bake the pie get to eat it.” We truly baked the pie for Trump. We overwhelmingly supported him in the GOP primary and helped him secure the nomination. We then gave him one of the largest mandates in the nation in the November General Election. Trump is indeed returning the favor. He has named our own Jeff Sessions Attorney General. His confirmation hearings begin this week. In addition, speculation is that Alabama’s Bill Pryor is on a very short list to be named to the U.S. Supreme Court by Trump to fill the vacancy on the Court of the late Antonin Scalia. Pryor is a former Alabama Attorney General, who currently sits on the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals in Atlanta. Pryor is only 54. He served as Alabama Attorney General from 1997-2004. He was the youngest state attorney general in the country at that time. He was appointed to the federal bench in 2005 by President George W. Bush. During his 11 years on the federal bench he has rendered a sterling conservative record. Pryor and Sessions have amazingly similar backgrounds. Both call Mobile their native home. Both were Attorney General of Alabama. Both have impeccable arch-conservative philosophies and pedigrees. They are kindred spirits and good friends. That is probably why Pryor is on Trump’s short list for the High Court. Most of the frontrunners to win the open Sessions Senate seat have avoided Bentley’s appointment. So how is the race shaking out to fill the Sessions’ seat? The frontrunner out of the gate is Attorney General Luther Strange. Big Luther has run three successful statewide races and is sitting on over 50 percent statewide name recognition. Furthermore, he is dedicated to running and has been for 20 years. He spent the first 20 years of his professional career lobbying in Washington for Sonat. He came home 20 years ago to run for a secondary statewide office and lay the groundwork to get back to Washington as a U.S. Senator. He has been biding his time for his buddies Sessions and Shelby to retire or move on. When Sessions’ appointment became imminent, Big Luther hit the ground running and has been raising money for 2018 for two months. The other statewide elected officials will probably not join the 2018 Senate fray. Secretary of State John Merrill has a good future. He is 53 and will probably run for re-election or maybe Lieutenant Governor. PSC President Twinkle Cavanaugh will probably run for Lieutenant Governor or maybe Governor. It is uncertain what State Treasurer Young Boozer will do. However, his tentativeness has probably left him out of the Senate race. Agriculture Commissioner John McMillan is running for Governor. State Auditor Jim Ziegler will run for Governor, Attorney General or re-election. Roy Moore is the favorite to win the 2018 Governor’s Race. Congressman Robert Aderholt would be the best qualified to run and succeed Sessions. He and Sessions went to Washington together 20 years ago. However, his 20 years of seniority in the House has placed him in a powerful congressional leadership position. He is poised to be Chairman of the U.S. House Appropriations Committee. His move to being a freshman Senator would be a lateral move. Alabama and his district would be best served by his staying in the House. Mobile and Baldwin County folks believe that they deserve the Senate seat since Sessions is a Mobilian. There are three potential candidates from the Port City/Gulf Coast Region. Former Congressman Jo Bonner is not going to run. Current Congressman Bradley Byrne would have the best chance to win among all the potential Mobile candidates. He was almost elected Governor. However, Byrne is probably not going to leave his safe congressional seat. He likes it and is good at it. State Senator Trip Pittman from Baldwin County is in the race and is running hard. If he continues to be the only major horse from that area in the race and it becomes a crowded field, he may be in a runoff. Speaking of regionalism, look at a horse from Huntsville to enter the race. If there is one primary candidate from the Tennessee Valley they will be a player. Huntsville Mayor Tommy Battle may pivot and move from the Governor’s race to the Senate. Folks in that area have always been more interested in national politics than state politics because of the Redstone Arsenal. State Senate President Pro Tem Del Marsh of Anniston seems very interested in this open U.S. Senate seat. He has sought the Bentley appointment. However, being a powerful State Senator does not translate into statewide name identification. 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.
Alabama pols react to former Chief Justice Perry Hooper’s passing
Former Chief Justice of the Alabama Supreme Court Perry Hooper, Sr. died on Monday at the age of 91. Hooper’s passing leaft a void in the hearts of many around the Yellowhammer State who remembered him for his thoughtful, gentlemanly approach to Alabama’s most pressing legal problems, admirers of the late jurist said. “I am saddened to hear of the passing of former Chief Justice Perry Hooper Sr. today,” said Gov. Robert Bentley. “Chief Justice Hooper was the first Republican Chief Justice to be elected since Reconstruction, and he served our citizens with honesty and integrity during his time on the Supreme Court.” “He was a role model for many Republicans and valued public service. He was a Marine veteran and a strong family man. I know Alabamians join me in praying for his family, especially his wife Marilyn and their children, during this time,” said Bentley. Perhaps Hooper’s most significant legacy stems from his historic challenge to incumbent Chief Justice E.C. “Sonny” Hornsby in 1994. Hooper ousted Hornsby, a Democrat, and led the way for a sea change on the high court which saw all of the Democrats replaced by GOP judges within 10 years. The election resulted in an eleven-month ordeal involving recounts, extensive litigation, and heated legal argument in a Mobile court over thousands of absentee ballots later thrown out by a federal judge. “Throughout that litigation Chief Justice Hooper served as a model of quiet dignity and class,” said Bill Pryor, a federal judge and former Alabama attorney general, in a statement. Former Gov. Fob James, who swore Hooper in 1995 after he prevailed in a legal battle with massive ramifications from Alabama politics, called the late justice “a wonderful example for judges and public servants to know the law.” “He knew the law,” said James. “And he was absolutely fearless in doing upfront what was right.” State Auditor Jim Zeigler also put out a statement after Hooper’s passing. “An Abundant Life: Judge Perry Hooper Sr. Saying goodbye to a chapter of Alabama historic, a Southern gentleman, a founder of the Alabama Republican Party, and an All-American family man,” said Zeigler. “Court is adjourned.” Hooper’s son, Rep. Perry Hooper, Jr., currently serves in the Alabama House.
