Long story - Contemporary political collecting in Alabama
Greg Koos

MESSAGE IN A BOTTLE

The pitched battle in the Alabama State Senate featuring the 18 Senate
Democrats allied with Governor Don Siegelman (D) versus 17 conservatives
(12 Republicans and 5 Democrats) allied with Lieutenant Governor Steve
Windom (R) has finally ended.  Unfortunately, the bitter fight turned
these politicians into a national embarrassment before it ended this week.
By state law, the Lieutenant Governor only presides over the Senate
sessions and votes in case of a tie.  However, by Senate rules, the
Lieutenant Governor traditionally held the powerful role of picking
committee chairs and assigned Senators to committees.  But when Windom was
elected last year -- the first Republican to be elected Lieutenant
Governor in this century -- the pro-Siegelman Democrats simply repealed
the former rule and stripped Windom of all his powers.  That event set off
the chain reaction in the sad story.  While presiding over a Senate
session, Windom simply recognized a supporter who moved to reinstate the
old rules.  By a simple voice vote, Windom gaveled the measure to passage
and declared that his side won -- even though the Windom supporters are a
minority in the Senate.  That set off a lengthy screaming match, with the
Democrats threatening to impeach Windom and the Republicans threatening to
impeach Siegelman.  Extra police officers were forced to maintain order in
the Senate -- and the hostilities forced an adjournment to cool tempers.
Both sides picked mediators to resolve the crisis but the talks collapsed.
When the Senate returned to session a few days ago, tempers were higher
than ever before.  Windom refused to leave the presiding officer's chair
-- even for a few minutes -- because he feared that the Democratic leader
and Senate President Pro Tempore Lowell Barron would quickly call a vote
to repeal Windom's powers.  Barron decided to get tough, requiring the
Senate to remain in session around the clock starting on Sunday to force
Windom to leave the chair.  Windom instead had an empty water cooler
bottle brought to him -- enabling him to urinate from the chair without
leaving the Senate Chambers.  By Monday morning, an exhausted Windom was
still in the chair and continuing to use his blue bottle.  The fiasco was
finally too much for even his allies, as they finally forged a compromise.
Among the terms: Siegelman-ally Barron will now select the chairs of all
committees, both sides will each appoint an equal number of Senators to
the budget review committees, the pro-Siegelman side will hold a majority
on all other committees, each side will appoint Senators from their side
to the allocated number of seats on each committee, Windom will get to
select one-third of the bills debated on the floor, allow a simply
majority (18) to overturn any decision Windom makes about Senate
procedures or rules, and allow any four senators require that any Senate
vote be a recorded, roll-call vote to stop Windom from being able to
decide which side won by voice votes.  It is probably too early to tell if
the shaky peace accord will survive.  As the Senate is allowed by state
law to meet in session for only 30 days each year, nearly half of the 1999
session was wasted on the fight.  Alabama House members began sporting
lapel pins this week that read: "I'm in the House. I work."  Meanwhile,
State Archives Director Ed Bridges said he would like Windom's jug for a
museum exhibit.  Bridges -- possibly in a fit of lunacy -- told the
Birmingham News in all seriousness that the bottle could be an
attention-getting part of a serious exhibit to illustrate "the
re-emergence of a serious two-party political life in Alabama."  Just
think of the tour guide's speech: "And this large bottle of urine is
symbolic of the rise of the Alabama Republican Party ..."