Stephanie Flowers
Stephanie Anne Flowers (born August 8, 1953) is an American attorney and Democratic politician, serving in public office since 2004. Flowers started in politics when she was elected in 2004 to the District 17 seat in the Arkansas House of Representatives. In 2011, she was elected to the Arkansas State Senate where she remains presently. Flowers graduated from Philander Smith College in Little Rock and the Thurgood Marshall School of Law, then known as Texas Southern University School of Law, in Houston, Texas. She became active in politics after returning to Pine Bluff, Arkansas, where she joined the  Democratic Party and established a private law practice. Family. Stephanie Flowers was born to Margaret Brown Flowers, an educator, and William Harold Flowers, a notable attorney who pioneered desegregation of the University of Arkansas School of Law at Fayetteville, AR. Her relative, Vivian Flowers, serves in the Arkansas House of Representatives for District 17. Early career. After graduating from Thurgood Marshall School of Law, Flowers returned to Pine Bluff, Arkansas, where she entered into private practice. Flowers served as a deputy prosecutor for the juvenile court in Jefferson County, Arkansas and has been a practicing lawyer for over 30 years . Senator Flowers. Committee memberships. Stephanie Flowers serves as Vice Chair on the Arkansas Senate Judiciary Committee and on the Joint Budget Claims Committee. Flowers also serves as a member on the following committees: Arkansas Legislative Council, Joint Budget Committee, City, County & Local Affairs Senate Committee, Joint Energy Committee, Children and Youth Senate Committee, and the Arkansas Legislative Black Caucus. Policy. Gun control and Senate Bill 484 (2019). Flowers went viral in early 2019 when she made passionate remarks about debate on Senate Bill 484, which removed the "duty to retreat" portion of the Stand Your Ground law being presented before  the Senate Judiciary Committee. As discussion before the Committee about the bill surpassed two hours, there was a motion to limit commentary to 10 minutes per person. As the only black member of the Committee, Flowers defended the right of citizens to debate the bill, remarking that people like her son don't "walk the same path." Coverage of the remarks especially focused on Flowers's response to Senator Alan Clark after he cautioned her to stop yelling: "What the hell you going to do, shoot me?"