Steve Flowers

Steve Flowers served 16 years in the state legislature. His weekly column appears in over 60 Alabama newspapers. Steve may be reached at [email protected].

Prison Reform a Major Accomplishment

INSIDE THE STATEHOUSE By Steve Flowers The hallmark accomplishment of this year’s legislative session will be a comprehensive prison reform package. This legislation is the one long-term substantive issue tackled by the super majority Republican legislative body. This comprehensive prison project has been in the works for a while. A lot of research and planning … Continued

May 20, 2015

Righting the Titanic

INSIDE THE STATEHOUSE By Steve Flowers You would have to have been under a rock for the past six months to not have heard that the State General Fund has a shortfall and Gov. Robert Bentley has proposed a $540 million tax increase solution to resolve the problem. This crisis has been formulating for close … Continued

May 13, 2015

Redistricting Case Cloud Over Session

INSIDE THE STATEHOUSE By Steve Flowers There is an ominous cloud hanging over this legislative session. Last year the U.S. Supreme Court surprisingly agreed to hear a Hail Mary complaint filed by the black legislative caucus over the 2014 redistricting plan. In an even more surprising opinion, the Supreme Court ruled in favor of the … Continued

May 6, 2015

Nice Guys Finish Last

INSIDE THE STATEHOUSE By Steve Flowers Recently, at a forum I was asked the question, “Which governor made a difference in Alabama politics?” The question caught me off guard because I really had not thought about that obvious inquiry. My knee-jerk reaction and answer to the insightful questioner was George Wallace and I gave a … Continued

April 29, 2015

2018 Derby for Governor

INSIDE THE STATEHOUSE By Steve Flowers On a picture perfect sunny January day Governor Robert Bentley was sworn in for his second term as governor, along with all of the other constitutional state officeholders. Taking their oath of office on the same day were Lt. Gov. Kay Ivey, Attorney General Luther Strange, State Treasurer Young … Continued

April 22, 2015

Barking at The Moon

INSIDE THE STATEHOUSE By Steve Flowers As the world turns in Alabama politics, a lot has happened in the first three months of 2015. After Inauguration Day, a federal judge in Mobile ruled Alabama’s constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage was not constitutional under federal law. In appeals to the U.S. Supreme Court it was obvious … Continued

April 15, 2015

Honors and Posibilites

INSIDE THE STATEHOUSE By Steve Flowers Alabama’s senior and premier political reporter, Phil Rawls, has retired. Phil spent 35 years reporting on Alabama politics for the Associated Press. He was simply the best. He was fair and accurate. His 40 years of covering the State Capitol made him easily the longest serving member of Alabama’s … Continued

April 8, 2015

The Charter School Options

INSIDE THE STATEHOUSE By Steve Flowers In recent years, the Republican Party has taken control of the legislatures in all of the southern states. Alabama’s legislature is overwhelmingly Republican. The GOP holds a 25 to 9 majority in the State Senate and an equally dominating 72 to 33 majority in the House of Representatives. Our … Continued

April 1, 2015

Calling Dr. Bentley

INSIDE THE STATEHOUSE By Steve Flowers Our good doctor governor, Robert Bentley, has done a thorough physical exam on the state’s finances and his diagnosis is that the General Fund needs additional revenue. His Republican comrades in the legislature have been trying to starve the patient for the past four years. If the patient is … Continued

March 25, 2015

Alabama the Generous

INSIDE THE STATEHOUSE By Steve Flowers Alabama may be in the lower tier of the country in some categories but not when it comes to providing health insurance for children. In that one category we excel. Brian Lyman with the Montgomery Advertiser provided an excellent study revealing that Alabama leads the south in taking care … Continued

March 18, 2015