Steve Flowers: Donald Trump comes to Alabama
Former President Donald Trump paid a visit to the Heart of Dixie last week. Obviously, this is Trump country. Alabama was one of Trump’s best states in the 2020 Election. He got an amazing 65% of the vote in our state. If the turnout for his August 21 rally in rural Cullman County is any indication, he would get that same margin of victory this year if the election were held again. Many of those in attendance were insistent that Trump won last year’s presidential contest and that it was stolen from him. The event was held on a desolate rural north Alabama farm. It was reminiscent of the 1969 Woodstock event in rural New York. In fact, our newly minted U.S. Senator Tommy Tuberville referred to it as “Trumpstock.” Tuberville nor I either one attended Woodstock, but we are old enough to know about the legendary music and imbibing event. It was also reminiscent of some of the old George Wallace rallies in the 1960’s – only much larger. The rally drew an enormous crowd. Estimates said there were 45,000 Trumpites in attendance, and I am not an expert on estimating crowds, but I do not disagree with that number. It took me 30 minutes to walk through the crowd to get to my car. Trump is truly an entertainer, and Alabama is truly Trump Country, although there were quite a few folks in attendance from neighboring states. I was very appreciative to be given a VIP front row private reception invitation to the event. Allow me to share some of my observations. Coach/Senator Tommy Tuberville won his seat in the U.S. Senate because Trump endorsed him. It is obvious that Trump and Tuberville like each other and have bonded. Tuberville ran for and is in the Senate for the right reason. He wants to spend some of his retirement years giving back to this country. Tuberville was not groomed to be a politician. He is a football coach, but he is doing a good job representing Alabama in Washington. He has put together a good staff headed by veteran Stephen Boyd. They are doing a good job with constituent service. Tuberville looked jovial, relaxed, and dapper when he spoke prior to Trump. Lt. Governor Will Ainsworth gave a great speech. It was fiery and almost George Wallace level. He is a true conservative. He has two young sons who accompanied him to the rally. They are very gentlemanly young men who are always courteous and mannerly. Attorney General Steve Marshall gave an excellent speech. It was conversational, sincere, and well-received. Congressman Robert Aderholt was spectacular and gave a great speech and welcome. He represents Cullman in congress. His 4th Congressional District gave Trump the largest percentage votes of any congressional district in the country. Aderholt looks like a congressman. He is polished and erudite but has a grassroots appeal. His people in North Alabama love him. Mo Brooks spoke and was fiery as ever. Trump has endorsed him in the senate race. However, Trump only endorsed him once on this night. There is a lot of internal discord among the Republican Party membership. It appears that the Mo Brooks supporters have taken over the Republican Party hierarchy and that this Trump event was a Mo Brooks rally. Trump probably was asked to temper his Brooks endorsement. Indeed, Mo Brooks’s opponents, Katie Britt, Lynda Blanchard, and Jessica Taylor were all in attendance. Several state senators were there, along with the aforementioned state constitutional officers. I saw Greg Reed from Jasper, Tom Whatley from Auburn, along with hometown Cullman Senator Garlan Gudger, and PSC Commissioner Jeremy Oden, also from Cullman County. In addition, Secretary of State John Merrill and Jefferson/Shelby Congressman Gary Palmer were in attendance. It was good to see some of the old, longtime, 50 year Republican Party faithful founders there – Elbert Peters from Huntsville, Joan and Paul Reynolds from Shelby County, and Vicki and Mike Drummond from Jasper. They were laboring in the Republican vineyards before it was cool to be a Republican and still are. I had a chance to see Trump closeup. He looks amazing for 75. People age differently. He is a lot more cognizant and alert than 78-year-old Joe Biden. If you made me bet, I would say that Trump is running for President in 2024 and that he will carry Alabama. Happy Labor Day. See you next week. Steve Flowers is Alabama’s leading political columnist. His weekly column is seen in over 60 Alabama newspapers. He served 16 years in the state legislature. Steve may be reached at: www.steveflowers.us.
Alabama Gov. Ivey signs ban on transgender athletes
Republican Gov. Kay Ivey on Friday signed legislation restricting transgender students from participating in K-12 sports, making Alabama the latest conservative state to ban transgender girls from playing on female sports teams. Ivey’s office announced in an email that she had signed the bill that says a public K-12 school “may never allow a biological male to participate on a female team.” Asked if the governor had a comment on the decision, spokeswoman Gina Maiola said she could confirm the governor signed the bill but did not elaborate. Supporters of the bill, HB 391, say transgender girls are born bigger and faster and have an unfair advantage in competition. Opponents argue the bills are rooted in discrimination and fear and violate the federal law barring sex discrimination in education. “HB 391 is nothing more than a politically motivated bill designed to discriminate against an already vulnerable population. By signing this legislation, Gov. Ivey is forcefully excluding transgender children. Let’s be clear here: transgender children are children. They deserve the same opportunity to learn valuable skills of teamwork, sportsmanship, and healthy competition with their peers,” Human Rights Campaign President Alphonso David said in a statement. The Alabama House voted 74-19 for the bill sponsored by Republican Rep. Scott Stadthagen of Hartselle. The Alabama Senate voted 25-5 for the legislation. “I want to thank Governor Ivey for her leadership and for protecting the rights of Alabama’s female athletes. Standing up for what is right is not always easy, but it is always the right thing to do,” Stadthagen said Friday. During Senate debate on the bill last week, Republican Sen. Garlan Gudger of Cullman said it is “unfair for biological males to compete and beat females in high school sports.” He said the bill is needed to protect the integrity of female athletic programs. Across the country, Republican legislators have been hard-pressed to come up with actual instances in which a transgender girl’s participation has caused a problem on a girls sports team. The Associated Press recently reached out to two dozen state lawmakers sponsoring such measures around the country as well as the conservative groups supporting them and found only a few times it’s been an issue among the hundreds of thousands of American teenagers who play high school sports. Mississippi Republican Gov. Tate Reeves last month signed a bill to ban transgender athletes from competing on girls or women’s sports teams. Idaho last year became the first state to pass such a ban, but it faces a legal challenge. Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly on Thursday vetoed a bill banning transgender students from girls and women’s school sports. She said the GOP-backed measure is a jobs killer that harms children. Critics of such bills are worried that the measures could cost states from hosting sporting events. Senate Minority Leader Bobby Singleton said last week that the bill will give Alabama a “black eye” as the state tries to recruit industries and sporting events to the state. “We are spending too much time on craziness like this,” Singleton said. As similar bills crop up across the county, the NCAA, which regulates college athletics in the U.S., expressed support for transgender athletes and warned that championships will only be held in locations “free of discrimination.” “We will continue to closely monitor these situations to determine whether NCAA championships can be conducted in ways that are welcoming and respectful of all participants,” the NCAA statement read. The NCAA currently requires transgender women to get drug treatment to lower their testosterone levels before they can compete in women’s sports. Republished with the permission of the Associated Press.
Senate delays vote on curbside voting ban
Alabama lawmakers on Thursday delayed a vote on a proposal to ban curbside voting as the state became the latest to debate new restrictions on voting. The debate in the state that was home to key events in the voting rights movement reflected divisions playing out in statehouses nationwide as Republican states seek to enact restrictions in the name of election integrity and Democrats push measures to make voting easier. The Alabama Senate delayed a vote in the face of a Democratic filibuster. No Alabama counties are known to have used curbside voting in the last election, but groups have sought the authorization of the method to make it easier for the elderly, disabled, and parents with young children to cast ballots. “I’m from Montgomery. I come from a family of individuals who literally fought for our rights to vote,” Sen. Kirk Hatcher, D-Montgomery, said. “We should be providing opportunities for people to expand the right to vote,” he said. Republicans argued that the restriction is needed because it would be harder to control the voting process outside. “We have worked to make it easy for everyone to vote. We want everyone to vote, but everyone’s ballot is a secret ballot, and the integrity of that ballot is what we are trying to protect here,” Sen. Dan Roberts, R-Mountain Brook, said. Senators did approve a series of less contentious bills, including GOP legislation, to move up the deadline to request an absentee ballot from five days before the election to seven days prior. Senators approved the bill on a 25-5 vote. It now returns to the Alabama House. Sen. Garlan Gudger, R-Cullman, said the measure is needed to accommodate postal service delays. “It takes time to get there and back … This allows more time for people to vote. That is what this bill does. It doesn’t restrict it,” Gudger said. The bill originally pushed the deadline back to 10 days prior to an election, but senators accepted a Democratic amendment to compromise on seven days. Senators voted 27-4 to approve a bill that makes it illegal for a person to vote in two states in the same election. Senators also voted 32-0 for a proposed constitutional amendment to require election law changes to take effect six months before the election. Both of those bills now move to the House of Representatives. Senate Minority Leader Bobby Singleton said he agreed that voting in two states is “100% fraud” but questioned how much of that is happening. Alabama saw record absentee voting in the 2020 election as rules were loosened during the COVID-19 pandemic, and some counties opened weekend voting to accommodate voters eager to cast ballots ahead of Election Day. Secretary of State John Merrill said people could vote absentee if they had concerns about going to polling places. Normally a person must be out-of-town, ill, disabled, or working a long shift to vote absentee. Democratic efforts to allow early voting in Alabama or make it easier to vote by absentee ballot have fallen flat in the GOP-controlled Legislature. Legislation by Rep. Laura Hall. D-Huntsville, to do away with the excuse requirement, has not gotten out of committee. Hall said allowing people to vote early by absentee ballot would be a convenience to busy voters who may have difficulty getting to the polls during the 12-hour window on election day. Hall said people were happy with the expanded opportunity to vote by absentee in November, and it is something the state should continue. “I spent a lot of time working with different groups to take people to the polls. And I don’t know whether they’re Democrats or Republicans, but they were certainly delighted that they had an opportunity to get that vote done before Nov. 3,” Hall said. Republished with the permission of the Associated Press.
Lawmakers vote to ban trans girls from female teams
Alabama could soon become the next conservative state to prevent transgender girls from playing on female sports teams. The Republican-dominated Alabama Legislature on Thursday gave final passage to a bill that would prohibit K-12 schools from letting a “biological male” participate on a female team. The bill now goes to Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey, who has not yet said whether she would sign the bill. The Alabama Senate on Thursday voted 25-5 to approve the House-passed bill. The House accepted minor Senate changes to the bill by a vote of 76-13. More than a dozen states are considering restrictions on transgender athletes or gender-confirming health care for transgender minors. “I believe that this bill is important, ladies and gentlemen of the Senate, to protect the integrity of women’s athletics,” Republican Sen. Garlan Gudger of Cullman said at the start of debate. “I think it is an unfair for biological males to compete and beat females in high school sports. There are biological advantages that men possess just naturally because of genetics,” Gudger said. Supporters of the bills say transgender girls are born bigger and faster and have an unfair advantage in competition. Opponents say the bills are rooted in discrimination and fear and violate the federal law barring sex discrimination in education. Senate Minority Leader Bobby Singleton said the bill is essentially unneeded and will give Alabama a “black eye” as the state tries to recruit industries and sporting events to the state. “We are spending too much time on craziness like this,” Singleton said. As similar bills crop up across the county, the NCAA, which regulates college athletics in the U.S., on Monday expressed support for transgender athletes and warned that championships would only be held in locations “free of discrimination.” “We will continue to closely monitor these situations to determine whether NCAA championships can be conducted in ways that are welcoming and respectful of all participants,” the NCAA statement read. The NCAA currently requires transgender women to get drug treatment to lower their testosterone levels before they can compete in women’s sports. Mississippi Republican Gov. Tate Reeves last month signed a bill to ban transgender athletes from competing on girls or women’s sports teams. Idaho last year became the first state to pass such a ban, but it faces a legal challenge. Republished with the permission of the Associated Press.
Committee advances lottery bill, keeps casino issue alive
An Alabama Senate committee on Wednesday advanced a lottery bill as lawmakers try to get the issue of gambling, — with or without casinos — before state voters for the first time since 1999. The Senate Tourism and Marketing Committee approved a lottery proposal sponsored by Republican Sen. Jim McClendon of Springville. However, Tourism Committee Chairman Del Marsh described the bill as a vehicle for negotiations and said lawmakers might revive the issue of casinos along with the lottery debate. The committee also approved other legislation that would set up a gaming commission to regulate casinos. “You have members who want to see a more comprehensive gaming package and those who do prefer a simple lottery. All we did today was keep both alive,” Marsh said. The committee action comes a week after Marsh’s proposal to authorize a state lottery and up to 10 casinos in the state failed by two votes in the Alabama Senate. McClendon’s bill would authorize a lottery where tickets could be sold at stores, kiosks and through a phone app. “My goal is to allow Alabamians to play whatever games they are traveling out of state to play,” McClendon said. “The people will have the opportunity to vote on and see if they would like a plain and simple lottery. It doesn’t address slot machines. It doesn’t address church bingo,” he said of his bill. The Tourism Committee delayed action on a bill by Sen. Garlan Gudger, a Republican from Cullman, that would authorize a lottery, although instant games would be limited to paper lottery tickets and could not be sold electronically. Any gambling proposal would have to be approved by three-fifths of lawmakers and a majority of state voters. Alabama voters in 1999 rejected then-Gov. Don Siegelman’s proposed state lottery, but lawmakers in both parties say they believe voters are now more welcoming to the idea. Alabama is one of five states without a state lottery. Marsh said he believes there is a mandate from voters to address the issue of gambling. “The people of Alabama want to vote on something dealing with gaming, whether it is a straight lottery, whether it’s a comprehensive package,” Marsh said. Alabama lawmakers will take a weeklong spring break next week. Marsh said lawmakers can take time to study the proposals and talk with constituents. Lottery bills have become entangled with the larger issue of gambling because of concerns over what the required changes to state law would mean for operators of electronic bingo machines, which can resemble slot machines. “At the end of the day, it’s more complicated than just a simple lottery,” House Speaker Mac McCutcheon said last week. Republished with the permission of the Associated Press.
Steve Flowers: Gambling and budgets priority for legislature
The legislature is at the midway point of the 2021 Regular Legislative Session. They have used 15 days of their allotted 30-day legislative session. The Senate has been consumed with attempting to pass a constitutional amendment to allow Alabamians the right to vote on whether to have a state lottery along with some casino and sports betting. The legislature in and of itself cannot authorize this expansion of gambling in the state. Their only authority is to vote to place it on the ballot in order to give you the opportunity to allow the state to reap the financial windfall now only afforded the Indian Gambling Syndicate. There was a critical vote in the state Senate last week on the issue. With it being a constitutional amendment, it required 21 votes. The vote was 19 to 13 in favor, but it lacked the constitutional muster by two votes. Therefore, the measure could be resurrected. However, if it is this close in the Senate, it probably does not have the votes for passage in the House of Representatives. Polls indicate that it would be approved by a vote of the people, probably with a 70 to 30 plurality, and with a majority of Republicans voting in favor. If it is that popular with the people, you probably are asking why in the world would Senators not vote to allow you to vote on it. The devil is in the details. The majority of the casinos would go to the Creek Indian Gambling Syndicate. Some of the 24 Republican Senators balked at that almost total monopoly. Senator Del Marsh was not the right sponsor or frontman for the constitutional amendment. He is not totally trusted, especially by the 10 Democrats he has consistently run over and ignored for years while he was President Pro Tem of the Senate. Marsh is also perceived as a pawn of the Indian Gambling Syndicate. He is no longer Pro Tem, so nobody is scared of him. A setting sun sets off very little heat. He is not running for reelection for his Anniston-based district because he could not be reelected. In his last race in 2018, he spent close to $480,000 to his unknown opponent’s $15,000 and only garnered 52% of the vote. That does not portend well for reelection. Governor Kay Ivey needs to come out openly and strongly for the measure and make it her issue and her legacy. It may need to be done in a Special Session later this year. Even then, it will be a tough sell to get through the Senate and then the House. Alabama is the Heart of the Bible Belt. If Alabama is the Bible Belt, then the area of Alabama, north of Birmingham and all the way to the Tennessee line, is the buckle. There are not any casinos in North Alabama, only churches, and most of the churchgoers are Church of Christ or Baptist. They did not allow the sale of alcohol in most of these counties until a few years ago. Every state senator in that area is a Republican, and all of them voted no, including Garlan Gudger of Cullman, Sam Givhan of Huntsville, Tom Butler of Huntsville, Larry Stutts of Florence, and Clay Scofield of Sand Mountain. You can probably bet your bottom dollar that the preachers encouraged their parishioners to contact their senators on Sunday before the vote last Tuesday. You may see the legislature address a simple lottery. It may not be a glamorous event in the legislative process, however, the beginning of the most important and imperative accomplishment occurred last week when the General Fund Budget passed the Alabama House of Representatives. The House approved a $2.4 billion dollar budget shepherded by the Ways and Means Chairman Steve Clouse (R-Ozark). The budget includes a 2% raise for state employees. This raise would amount to an $867 per year raise for a state worker making the median salary of $43,346. The budget includes an increase in funding for the Bureau of Pardons and Paroles. Other agencies seeing increases in the budget are the Department of Mental Health at 6.7%, the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency will see a 7.9% increase, mostly for upgrading the state’s driver license system. Overall, the budget is 3.3% higher than last year’s, which is amazing after a year of COVID-19. It now moves on to the Senate, which more than likely will concur with few changes. Steve Flowers is Alabama’s leading political columnist. His column appears in more than 60 Alabama newspapers. He served 16 years in the state 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.
