Inside the Statehouse

There’s a Dimes Worth of Difference

INSIDE THE STATEHOUSE by Steve Flowers We will vote to select the 44th President Tuesday. The next President will be a New Yorker. Whomever is selected will enter the Oval office with the most unfavorable poll ratings of any President in recent memory. This election will epitomize the old adage that George Wallace once told … Continued

Steve Flowers

November 2, 2016

Opinion

A Tale from ‘62

INSIDE THE STATEHOUSE by Steve Flowers The year was 1962. John Kennedy was President. Camelot was in full bloom. The Congress was controlled by Democrats only because the South was solidly Democratic. The Southern bloc of senators and congressmen were all Democrats. Because of their enormous seniority, they controlled both houses of Congress, especially the … Continued

Steve Flowers

October 26, 2016

Opinion

Just a Good Ole Boy

INSIDE THE STATEHOUSE By Steve Flowers Ole Bill Baxley has been in the news a lot this year. He was the lead defense counsel for former Speaker Mike Hubbard’s ethics conviction trial over in Opelika. Baxley practices law in Birmingham and is one of the state’s premier and most expensive criminal defense lawyers. Like a … Continued

Steve Flowers

October 19, 2016

Opinion

Sessions: Conservative Stalwart

INSIDE THE STATEHOUSE by Steve Flowers Our junior U.S. Senator Jeff Sessions has risen to national prominence in this pivotal presidential year. His arch conservative senate voting record and impeccable pedigree as one of the most rock solid Republicans in the U.S. Senate has made him a marquee persona among right wing Fox News conservatives … Continued

Steve Flowers

October 12, 2016

Opinion

Some Thoughts on Political Analysts, Reporting

INSIDE THE STATEHOUSE by Steve Flowers During this election year I have watched all the politics on television. In order to judge the coverage I have perused all the channels. Over the years political observers have bemoaned the fact that certain networks are biased. Folks, I am here to tell you they are. There is … Continued

Steve Flowers

October 6, 2016

Opinion

E-Light Delights

INSIDE THE STATEHOUSE by Steve Flowers Alabama’s most famous political restaurant and watering hole for 50 years was Montgomery’s Elite Restaurant. Until it closed about 1995, the Elite (pronounced “E-light”) was the place to eat and be seen. Many a political deal was struck at its back tables. Legislators, politicians, and socialites in Montgomery frequented … Continued

Steve Flowers

September 28, 2016

Opinion

Sen. Sessions Alabama’s Man in D.C.

INSIDE THE STATEHOUSE by Steve Flowers Throughout this year’s prodigious presidential selection process our junior senator, Jeff Sessions, has been at the forefront. He has become the darling of the extreme right throughout the country. He is and has been one of the most conservative members of the U.S. Senate for close to two decades … Continued

Steve Flowers

September 7, 2016

Opinion

Long Hot Summer Coming to an End

INSIDE THE STATEHOUSE By Steve Flowers With Labor Day approaching it signifies that the long hot summer will soon be coming to an end. It seems that the summers are getting hotter and hotter. I was born and raised in south Alabama so I was accustomed to long hot summers. I remember when there was … Continued

Steve Flowers

August 31, 2016

Opinion

Dire Threats, Opportunities

INSIDE THE STATEHOUSE by Steve Flowers As anticipated, a special Legislative Session has been called by Governor Robert Bentley. The Session is set to begin this Monday, August 15. Dr. Bentley has bemoaned the fact that the legislature refused to grant Medicaid the $85 million they said they needed in the budget fiscal year, which … Continued

Steve Flowers

August 10, 2016

Opinion

The Future of the Supreme Court at Stake

INSIDE THE STATEHOUSE by Steve Flowers As we have watched and participated in the presidential foray this entire year, an equally important event occurred. The death of U.S. Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia in February is a very important event in American government. Scalia’s unexpected death at 79 could affect the ideological tilt of the … Continued

Steve Flowers

July 27, 2016