Stephanie Flowers facts for kids

Stephanie Anne Flowers (born August 8, 1953) is an American lawyer and a Democratic politician. She has been working in public office since 2004. Stephanie Flowers began her political journey in 2004. She was elected to represent District 17 in the Arkansas House of Representatives. In 2011, she was elected to the Arkansas State Senate. She continues to serve there today.

Flowers studied at Philander Smith College in Little Rock. She also went to the Thurgood Marshall School of Law in Houston, Texas. This school was known as Texas Southern University School of Law back then. After finishing her studies, she returned to Pine Bluff, Arkansas. There, she became active in the Democratic Party. She also started her own law practice.

Her Journey in Politics

Stephanie Flowers has been elected to different roles over the years. She first served in the Arkansas House of Representatives. Later, she moved to the Arkansas State Senate.

• 2004: Stephanie Flowers first ran for the State House in District 17. She won the Democratic primary election. She then ran unopposed in the general election on November 2, 2004.
• 2006: She faced no opponents in either the Democratic primary or the general election on November 7.
• 2008: Again, she ran unopposed in both the primary on May 20 and the general election on November 4.
• 2010: Senator Hank Wilkins from District 5 ran for a House seat. This opened up the District 5 State Senate seat. Flowers ran for this open seat. She won the Democratic primary on May 18, 2010, with 4,798 votes. This was 56.2 percent of the votes. She was unopposed in the general election on November 2, 2010.
• 2012: Her district changed to District 25. State Senator Percy Malone retired, creating another open seat. Flowers won the Democratic primary on May 22, 2012. She received 4,718 votes (58.5 percent) against fellow state Representative Efrem Elliott. She then won the general election on November 6, 2012. She got 19,955 votes (82.8 percent) against Libertarian candidate David Dinwiddie.

Family Life

Stephanie Flowers was born to Margaret Brown Flowers and William Harold Flowers. Her mother was an educator. Her father was a well-known lawyer. He helped to end segregation at the University of Arkansas School of Law.

Her relative, Vivian Flowers, also serves in the Arkansas House of Representatives. Vivian represents the 65th district. She used to represent District 17.

Early Career

After finishing law school, Stephanie Flowers went back to Pine Bluff, Arkansas. There, she started her own private law practice. She also worked as a deputy prosecutor for the juvenile court in Jefferson County, Arkansas. She has been a practicing lawyer for over 30 years.

Her Work as a Senator

Important Committees

Stephanie Flowers holds important roles in the Arkansas Senate. She is the Vice Chair of the Arkansas Senate Judiciary Committee. She also serves on the Joint Budget Claims Committee.

Flowers is also a member of several other committees:

• Arkansas Legislative Council
• Joint Budget Committee
• City, County & Local Affairs Senate Committee
• Joint Energy Committee
• Children and Youth Senate Committee
• Arkansas Legislative Black Caucus

Standing Up for Voices

Speaking Out in 2019

In early 2019, Stephanie Flowers became widely known for her strong words. This happened during a debate on Senate Bill 484. This bill was about a law called "Stand Your Ground." The discussion in the Senate Judiciary Committee went on for over two hours. A motion was made to limit how long people could speak.

As the only Black member of the Committee, Flowers spoke up. She defended the right of citizens to fully discuss the bill. She said that people like her son "don't walk the same path." Her comments gained a lot of attention. She emphasized the importance of everyone's voice being heard in important debates.