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  • Political Potpourri

    Steve Flowers|Mar 1, 2024

    I hope you all voted in the primaries yesterday. You have an advantage on me in that I have to go to press with my column before Wednesday, my publication date. Therefore, you know the results. However, I doubt there are any surprises. We do not have any good state races this year. We have four open seats on our State Supreme Court. However, three of the four are held by popular incumbents, none of which received even token opposition from either Republicans or Democrats. Justices Will Sellers,...

  • 2024 Legislative Session Begins Next Week

    Steve Flowers|Feb 1, 2024

    The 2024 Legislative Session begins next week. It will be difficult to replicate the success of last year’s regular session. The 2023 year was a premier year for any first year of a quadrennium. Indeed, it may be one of the most momentous in state history. It was historic because of the vast amount of money available to be appropriated. When asked what grade I would give the legislative session at its conclusion, I gave it the highest I have ever given: B+. It would have gotten an A, but...

  • 2023 OBSERVATIONS AND ACCOLADES

    Steve Flowers|Jan 1, 2024

    I know we are in a new year, but allow me to look back into 2023 and share with you some observations and accolades from the last year. My old friend Mac McArthur has been Executive Director and Chief Cook and Bottle Washer of the Alabaman State Employees Association for 26 years now. He is one of my best friends and we talk about once or twice a month. Our conversations last an hour as we enjoy regaling stories of Alabama politics. Nobody knows Alabama political stories or Alabama political...

  • Lister Hill, one of Alabama's Greatest U.S. Senators

    Steve Flowers|Dec 1, 2023

    We had a very distinguished congressional delegation from Alabama during the 30-year span of 1934-1964. The congressmen from the Heart of Dixie appeared to be born to serve in Congress. Their pedigrees were all similar. They had pretty much been born and raised in the town that they would eventually represent in Congress. Almost all had gone to the University of Alabama for their education and most had graduated from Alabama’s Law School. While at the Capstone, most had been members of Greek...

  • Dr. Furnie Johnston, Pioneer Doctor

    Steve Flowers|Nov 1, 2023

    In recent years, healthcare has eclipsed agriculture as Dothan’s major industry. Dothan is the medical mecca for the entire Wiregrass, as well as rural northwest Florida and southwest Georgia. It has premier medical professionals only matched by Birmingham in the state of Alabama. Dothan doctors dominate the economy in the world’s largest peanut producing locale. One of the pioneers of this medical revolution was Dothan’s Dr. Furnie Johnston, who passed away a few weeks ago at 94 years...

  • It's Official – Alabama will have New Congressional Districts.

    Steve Flowers|Oct 1, 2023

    It’s official and final, Alabama will elect our seven member congressional delegation under new lines next year. The federal court has spoken. The special master drawing the lines has acted and the final omnipotent power, the U.S. Supreme Court, has concurred and confirmed the decision. It is over. The result that the plaintiffs desired has been decreed by the courts. There will be a new second majority Black Congressional district. This accomplishment has been sought for decades. Now the...

  • Summer Political Happenings

    Steve Flowers|Sep 1, 2023

    As the long hot summer ends and Labor Day approaches, let’s take a look back at what occurred over the last three summer months, politically. First of all, it was one of the hottest summers on record. Temperatures soared into the hundreds as early as late June. On one of those late June days, one of the hottest political events of the year occurred. The annual Tomato Sandwich Lunch event hosted by Alabama Agriculture Commissioner Rick Pate was the biggest, yet. The twentieth annual Tomato...

  • If Alabama Loses Space Command, It Is Because We Lost Shelby

    Steve Flowers|Aug 1, 2023

    Make no mistake about it, the decision as to where the heralded National Space Command Headquarters will be located is political. If you think otherwise, you are politically naïve. Senator Richard Shelby is the reason and only reason that the federal military officials even considered moving Space Command from Colorado to Huntsville, Alabama in the first place, period. Folks, you are just beginning to see the impact Senator Shelby’s retirement meant to the State of Alabama. Our freshman...

  • The Alabama Community College System

    Steve Flowers|Jul 1, 2023

    Sometimes overlooked and often unsung, Alabama’s community and technical colleges are on a roll. It is time they get the recognition they deserve as workhorses for the state’s economy. There are 24 community and technical colleges in the state, located on 50 different campuses with over 130 service locations. This means every Alabamian reading these words is close to incredible education and training opportunities. The colleges offer over 300 degrees and certifications, and award more than...

  • Lurleen Wallace

    Steve Flowers|Jun 1, 2023

    Kay Ivey is Alabama's second female governor. Lurleen Wallace was the first. Ironically, Kay Ivey's idol and impetus for striving to be governor was Lurleen Wallace. Kay's first involvement in state politics was as a campaign worker for Governor Lurleen's 1966 race for governor when Kay Ivey was a student at Auburn. It was 55 year ago in May 1968 that our first female governor, Lurleen Wallace, passed away. She was a genuinely humble person. Lurleen Wallace was very popular. The state fell in...

  • Our National Debt is Unsustainable

    Steve Flowers|May 1, 2023

    As the first Regular Session of the Quadrennium evolves there are a myriad of complex issues arising. I am reminded of three simple truisms regarding the Alabama legislature and the governing of the State of Alabama. First of all, if anything significant or controversial or any major initiative is to be addressed, then it is dealt with in the first year of the four-year quadrennium. Thus, giving legislators three years before their constituents vote on them again. The political pragmatism and...

  • 2026 Governor's Race Has Begun

    Steve Flowers|Apr 1, 2023

    Alabama's original 1901 Constitution had a law whereby the governor could only serve one four-year term and not succeed themselves. In 1968, the law was changed and since then the governor and all other constitutional offices in the state can now serve two consecutive terms. This one term and you are done, made for a very interesting, anticipated, and competitive governor's race every four years. They could begin four years in advance in earnest, and they would begin. Since Kay Ivey will be...

  • Three Great Alabama Preachers:

    Steve Flowers|Mar 1, 2023

    Many of you may be surprised to know that politicians and preachers are often friends while on earth. They actually run in the same circles in their communities as well as around the state. It has been my pleasure to have known a good many Godly ministers. During my lifetime here in our beloved state of Alabama, there have been some outstanding ministers, but three men stand out as legendary and will go down in the annals of Alabama history as the three greatest preachers of this generation....

  • Shelby's Last Hurrah Will Benefit Alabamians for Generations

    Steve Flowers|Feb 1, 2023

    Richard Shelby’s last week as our United States Senator was poetically amazing. The nation watched as he gave his farewell address to the Senate. His speech was followed by a tribute from his longtime friend Senator Patrick Leahey. Senator Shelby and Senator Leahey from Vermont are best friends and co-chaired the U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee together for their final six-year terms, which ended January 3, 2023. They walked out together after a lasting three decade partnership. The...

  • Two New U.S. Senators for Alabama

    Steve Flowers|Jan 1, 2023

    Richard Shelby walked out of the U.S. Senate this week after 36 years. Walking out with him is almost all of Alabama's seniority and power in Washington. Seniority equates into power in the Halls of Congress, especially in the Senate. National publications have illustrated the fact that Alabama has benefited more than all 50 states from federal earmarked funds due to one man, Richard Shelby. It will be impossible to replace Shelby. His legacy will last for generations, especially in Huntsville,...

  • Kay Ivey is Governor Again

    Steve Flowers|Dec 1, 2022

    Governor Kay Ivey’s 2022 reelection victory run has been very impressive. Some of you may be wondering how quickly I have been able to resolve that she has indeed culminated her victorious run when the General Election was held Tuesday and my column’s published date is Wednesday. It is simply as I have told you numerous times over the past two decades, winning the Republican Primary for governor in the Heart of Dixie is tantamount to election. The General Election is Alabama is an afterthoug...

  • Election Year Observations

    Steve Flowers|Nov 1, 2022

    This 2022 Election Year in Alabama has been monumental and memorable. Any gubernatorial year is big in the state. It is the brass ring of Alabama politics to be governor. However, the race to succeed our Senior Senator Richard Shelby has been the marquee contest. This year will be the last hurrah for our two leading political figures in the state. Senator Richard Shelby is retiring after 36 years in the U.S. Senate at age 88. Governor Kay Ivey will be elected to her final term as Governor at...

  • Alabama State Board of Education

    Steve Flowers|Oct 1, 2022

    School board members are some of the most selfless public servants in Alabama. This accolade goes to the Alabama State Board of Education, and more specifically local school board members. These members are tasked with a very important mission but receive very little compensation for their time and efforts. They are indeed public servants. The Alabama State Board of Education is a nine member body that sets public education policy for K-12 schools. The governor is an ex-officio member of the...

  • Alabama is a Big Front Porch

    Steve Flowers|Sep 1, 2022

    This is the final version of a three week series of stories that illustrate that Alabama is a Big Front Porch. James E. “Big Jim” Folsom was one of our few two-term governors. In the old days, governors could not succeed themselves. Therefore, Big Jim was first governor in 1946-1950. He waited out four years and came back and won a second term in 1954, and stayed through 1958. Big Jim was still a young man when he was first elected in 1948. He and his wife, Jamelle, had their firstborn...

  • Do Campaign Ads Pander?

    Steve Flowers|Jul 1, 2022

    During the waning days of the campaigns for Governor and U.S. Senator, I received an inordinate amount of correspondence lamenting the outrageous, demagogic, disingenuous, negative ads, especially on television. The frustration can best be summed up by a thoughtful writer’s comments, “Steve, it is sad with all the issues we need to face in Alabama (health, education, infrastructure) we continue to dumb down our elections. I found the Kay Ivey ads revolting and racist.” The writer went on...

  • We Miss Shorty Price (aka: Also Rans)

    Steve Flowers|Jun 1, 2022

    The governor’s races of bygone years were a lot more fun and colorful than todays. We would have 10 to 15 candidates. There would be three or four favorites, but we would have 10 others that would make an effort to crisscross the state and have fun and cut up a little bit to garner publicity. The “also rans” could not afford the expensive country music stars from Nashville like the George Wallace, Big Jim Folsom, Jimmy Faulkner frontrunners could to draw a crowd. This year’s...

  • Congressional Lines and Congressmen will Remain the Same

    Steve Flowers|May 1, 2022

    For several years leading up to the 2010 Census count, the national projections were that Alabama would lose one of our seven congressional districts and drop to six. When the count was taken, we surprised ourselves and the nation and kept our seven seats in the United States Congress. Therefore, the legislature’s task in drawing our seven congressional districts was relatively easy. Except for some tweaking here and there due to growth in Madison, Limestone, Lee, Shelby and especially...

  • Incumbency Prevails in Secondary Constitutional Offices

    Steve Flowers|Apr 1, 2022

    Incumbency is a potent, powerful, inherent advantage in politics. That fact is playing out to the nines in this year’s Alabama secondary constitutional and down ballot races. Several of the constitutional office incumbents do not have Republican or Democratic opposition. Of course, having a Democratic opponent is the same as not having an opponent in a statewide race in Alabama. A Democrat cannot win in a statewide contest in the Heart of Dixie. Lt. Governor Will Ainsworth will be elected to...

  • The 2022 World Games Will Showcase Alabama

    Steve Flowers|Mar 1, 2022

    Allow me to deviate from politics to discuss an important event for our state. The World Games 2022 will place Birmingham and the entire state of Alabama squarely in the global spotlight. Believe it or not, this once-in-a-lifetime event is only a few months away with approximately 3,600 athletes from more than 100 countries and up to 500,000 visitors expected to flood Birmingham for one of the world’s largest athletic competitions. Folks, there are many questions about the World Games 2022. Is...

  • Will Gambling Be Addressed in 2022?

    Steve Flowers|Feb 1, 2022

    As the final regular legislative session of the quadrennium evolves, it is apparent that the legislature will not touch any substantive or controversial issues, but simply pass the budgets and go home to campaign. It is election year in the Heart of Dixie. If legislators are listening to their constituents, they are hearing one thing – Alabamians want their legislators to allow them the right to vote on receiving their fair share of the money from gambling in Alabama. They are simply sick and...

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