Understanding Constitutional Amendment One: The Ten Commandments and religious freedom

  For years, discussion over the public display of the Ten Commandments has animated Alabama’s political landscape.

  The issue is so energizing, it seems, that many politicians frame their own races through the lens of this battle––that support for their candidacy is a vote for the Ten Commandments.

  Even so, Alabamians have never actually gotten a chance to vote directly on the issue.

  This November, however, a constitutional amendment sponsored by Sen. Gerald Dial (R) provides that opportunity.

Steve Flowers: Inside the Statehouse: Moore holds edge in U.S. Senate runoff

  When the race for the open Jeff Sessions seat began, it appeared to be a Roy Moore versus Luther Strange contest. Well, folks, that’s how it ended last Tuesday. We’ve got a runoff between our Ten Commandments Judge, Roy Moore, and Big Luther Strange.

  Roy Moore has been around Alabama politics for a while now. Alabamians know who he is and what he stands for. He has been standing up for Fundamentalist Christian values since his days as an Etowah County judge where he displayed a wooden Ten Commandments plaque on the walls of his courtroom. He became so famous for his stand that he rode that notoriety to being elected Chief Justice of Alabama’s Supreme Court.

Steve Flowers: Inside the Statehouse: Defying the federal government hasn't paid off for Alabama

  As the legislature and governor prepare for the upcoming initial legislative session of the quadrennium, they are facing ominous and obvious problems. The General Fund is in dire straits, primarily due to the escalating costs of Medicaid and prisons.

  The problems in the prison system may be even more acute than with Medicaid. The reason is that our prison population is well in excess of what federal courts have determined is constitutional. There are federal judicial standards of humane care for prisoners and we currently are not within these guidelines. Therefore, we are on thin ice and shaky ground if our prison problems come before a federal judge.

Charles C. Haynes: A right for the religious is a right for the nonreligious

  Government in America must be neutral among religions and neutral between religion and non-religion – at least that’s how the U.S. Supreme Court interprets the establishment clause of the First Amendment.

  But escalating conflicts involving government treatment of the nonreligious – atheists and humanists – reveal that far too many government officials are confused and conflicted about the meaning of “neutrality.”

Steve Flowers: Inside The Statehouse: The Moore things change...

  Ever since Roy Moore’s surprising victory in the March Republican primary a hue and cry has arisen from some mostly upscale GOP and Independent Alabamians to derail his return to his old position as Chief Justice of the Alabama Supreme Court. The rumors and plans abound from all areas of the state. They are more prominent in coffee club conversations, country club cocktail parties and suburban watering holes. The people are frustrated and convinced that Moore’s resurrection is an embarrassment to the state.

  The bottom line is that Moore will be elected to his prior post as Chief Justice in November. Winning the GOP primary nomination is tantamount to election in Alabama, especially in a year when Barack Obama is heading the Democratic ticket and the contest is for a judicial job. Alabamians decided about two decades ago that they want only Republicans on their state courts. The current count is 19 Republicans and zero Democrats on the state appellate courts of Alabama. The numbers will remain the same when the dust settles on the night of November 6th.

Steve Flowers: Inside The Statehouse: And the monument you rode in on....

  On the morning of the March 13 Alabama GOP Primary, former Alabama Chief Justice Roy Moore rode his horse to the polls to vote. As the day wore on it became apparent that he was riding a wave of evangelical support to be returned to his old job.

  When Moore hopped off his horse at his voting place in Etowah County, he was hoping to regain the Chief Justice position he lost in 2003. That year a state panel expelled him from office for failing to comply with a federal court order to remove a monument of the Ten Commandments that he placed in the Alabama Judiciary Building in Montgomery. Moore accomplished his mission. He remarkably defeated two opponents without a runoff who outspent him over six to one. Moore garnered an amazing 51% of the primary vote. Mobile Circuit Judge and former Attorney General Charlie Graddick got 25% and incumbent Chuck Malone received 24% of the vote.