My lifetime friend, Steve Clouse, turns 70 this week. He was born on February 7, 1956. I hope his legislative colleagues and friends wish him a Happy Birthday. He truly is a good man.
Steve was born and raised in Ozark and has represented his home County of Dale as well as neighboring Houston County for 32 years – almost half of his life and well over 72% of his adult life. He was first elected to the Alabama House of Representatives in 1994 at age 38. He will be re-elected to his ninth, four-year term this year.
Steve Clouse is not only the Dean of the Wiregrass delegation in the House, he is the stalwart, respected leader and heart and soul of the Wiregrass delegation. Coincidentally, when Steve came to the House in 1994, he was the only Republican in the Wiregrass, House or Senate. Today, all Wiregrass Senators and House members are arch Republicans. The Wiregrass is one of the most Republican Regions of the State.
Steve is currently Chairman of the House Transportation Utilities and Infrastructure Committee. However, his most important leadership role was as Chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, where he wrote the General Fund Budget for over a decade.
Steve has always had a keen interest and knack for Alabama politics. He also has an astute marketing mind. When he first ran for the House, he coined the phrase, “Put Clouse in the House.” If he were to have an opponent, he could say, “Keep Clouse in the House.” He is truly a man of the House.
Steve is truly a man of Ozark, also. He is Ozark, through and through. His father, Jimmy Clouse, had deep roots in Dale County. Steve worked with his father in the oil distribution business until his Dad passed away a few years ago.
Steve has been a devout member of the First Methodist Church. He and his wife, Dianne, live right across the street from the Methodist Church. They don’t have far to go so it makes it hard for him to skip.
He parks his white truck right out front of his antebellum style home, right on Main Street, which tells his constituents, “I’m at home, come see me with your problems.”
Believe you me, small town legislators get more cries for help than you can imagine. Especially if you’re Steve Clouse, who knows most of his constituents personally. He has fixed many a Dale countian’s problems and potholes over the past four decades.
I often use the saying Alabama is a Big Front Porch. When it comes to me and Steve Clouse, that adage is definitely apropos.
I have never, not known Steve Clouse. We played together as little boys. Steve’s mama was Ruth Price. She grew up in Pike County. My mama, Gloria Grant Flowers and Ruth Price Clouse were like sisters all their lives. They were best friends as girls and teenagers and continued their friendship after Mrs. Ruth married Jimmy Clouse and moved to Ozark.
Mama lived all her life in Troy. When Steve and I were little boys, our mamas would bring us to Troy and Ozark to play together. We became like brothers rather than friends. We are still more like brothers. I don’t think it is just a coincidence that we have the same first name. I also had a sister named Kay and he has a sister named Kay. We are pretty sure our mamas collaborated on that.
When it got time for Steve to go to college, he chose the University of Alabama where I was finishing up. He pledged the same fraternity that I and a good many Southeast Alabama boys were in, Sigma Nu.
Our legislative districts connected for the 16 years I was in the House. We had almost identical pro-business conservative voting records. People still, today, get us confused because we have similar names. He tells me that often in our almost weekly phone conversations. “Someone called me you the other day.” My response to him, “I’m sure you told them that you were a lot younger and better looking.”
Steve Clouse is one of the best men I’ve ever known. He epitomizes honesty and integrity. I cannot believe that my young friend and little brother is 70. Alabama is a Big Front Porch.
See you next week.
Steve Flowers is Alabama’s leading political columnist. His weekly column appears in over 60 Alabama newspapers. He served 16 years in the state legislature. Steve may be reached at [email protected].
