Inside the Statehouse
Viewed: 1336
Posted by: Steve51
Date: May 10 2017 2:45 PM
INSIDE THE STATEHOUSE
by Steve Flowers
Most times political columns are critical or derogatory of politicians. However, today I would like to share some positive observations from the first few months of this year.
Sometimes I enjoy striding down the halls of our old capitol reminiscing about my younger days when I would walk those halls as a pageboy and then during my 30’s and 40’s as a member of the legislature. In bygone days, you would never see a constitutional officer in their offices working on Fridays, not even the governor. A few months ago, I walked down the halls at about
After visiting with him a while, I walked across the hall to the State Treasurer’s office and lo and behold there was Young Boozer working away. We chatted a while, Young’s daddy was a good friend of mine. His name was also Young Boozer. He was a very successful businessman. He had been a star football player at
Well about three weeks later, I was attending a ceremony in the old historic House chamber, which was also on a Friday afternoon. I repeated my steps from the previous Friday and again Merrill and Boozer were in their offices working. In essence not only are John Merrill and Young Boozer uniquely qualified for their jobs, these two gentlemen have an honest to goodness work ethic for the people of
Our Senior Senator Richard Shelby has been our U.S. Senator since 1986. During those 30 years, he has kept a campaign promise made during that 1986 campaign. He has come home and visited all 67 counties each and every year.
As he begins his sixth six-year term, he finds himself in a pinnacle of power never before matched in
Most
One Wednesday night in late February, I joined my old friend Shelby for dinner in downtown
State Senator Gerald Dial has been in the Alabama Senate for 30 years. He has adamantly said he is not running for reelection next year. He is using his last term in the Senate to be a leader and workhorse. He seems to be in charge of the Senate. He is involved with every major issue and is chairing the Reapportionment Committee, which has to have a resolution by the end of the Session. He seems more like the Governor than a powerful State Senator.
State Senator Cam Ward has taken the bull by the horns with the prison overcrowding bond issue. He has been the architect, developer, chief cook and bottle washer of this premier and critical issue. He has filled a void left by the governor’s office.
Representative Steve Clouse has become the budget guru and mainstay of the beleaguered General Fund. As Chairman of the
See you next week.
Steve Flowers is
<- back