This story is a little stale now, but it is funny nonetheless.
Two Alabama senators had an altercation on the floor of the Alabama Senate last week.
Republican Charles Bishop and Democrat Lowell Barron were in the midst of a heated exchange when Bishop suddenly punched Barron on the head. Security personnel and other senators had to hold Bishop back to prevent further escalation.
Senators Bishop said of the incident: “He (Senator Lowell Barron) called me a son of the <expletive>. Where I grew up that is somebody talking bad about your mother and when he did I responded with my right hand, and from that point on I don’t know what happened because people grabbed me and I turned around and walked off.”
Senator Barron denies saying anything like that.
You know, on one hand, I kind of like this. It’s sort of like in old days when a man would fight for his honor or the honor of their family. On the other hand, this plays into the whole stereotype of the state of Alabama as being a backwards, unintelligent state that is stuck in the 1960’s. This whole incident was a big story on FoxNews, DrudgeReport and other national media outlets. Our local televesion station even helps perpetuate the image even more with a third grade grammar error in its first sentence: “Warning: This story does contain a obscenity from a state senator.”
I hate that it actually happened on the floor of the Senate while it was in session, but if Senator Bishop’s motive was really what he claimed it to be, then I just can’t resist a little smile. 
Apparently no assault charges will stand, due to the fact that when on the House Floor, you have immunity. That’s what Senator Jay Love said on the radio….
shaun
June 13th, 2007
I know they have immunity from anything they say (slander, etc), but I didn’t know they’d have immunity from things like assault. Either way, it will be interesting.
Zack Rippy
June 13th, 2007
Sweet Home Alabama…
Ashley
June 14th, 2007
Hicks! Did us as much good as the basketball fight that happened in Prattville a few years back and got on national news. We are a bunch of gooduns!
Philip
June 15th, 2007