Alabama Politics in
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NOTE: Sen. Hank Sanders has written a weekly column for papers in his legislative district for the past twenty years. These rural, weekly papers lack a web presence, and therefore a link to the publication is not available. The column below is provided by Sen. Sanders’ office for inclusion in the Daily News Digest.

Senate Sketches # 1045

By

Senator Hank Sanders

*****************

I didn’t see it, but it was terrible. I didn’t hear it, but it was terrible. It was just bad, bad, bad. It was bad for the Alabama State Senate, the entire Legislature, the State of Alabama and all our people.

Of course I am talking about Senator Charles Bishop hitting Senator Lowell Barron. It was a hard strike up side the head with his fist. It was on the Alabama Senate Floor. It was caught on videotape. It was bad, very bad.

I was on the phone in the small room just back of the Senate Chambers. When the intercom went quiet, I rushed out to see what was happening. One Senator said, “Did you see what Bishop did? He just hauled off and hit Lowell up side the head. We are in recess, meeting in the Lieutenant Governor’s office.”

It sounded bad. I did not know how bad until I heard the whole story. I really did not know how truly bad until I saw the ugly images on TV. It was bad, real bad.

According to first hand witnesses, Barron was sitting in his chair when Bishop stalked over to him. Bishop was mad about some Senate activity and said, “I will —- you for the next three years!” Barron stood up and said, “I don’t give a damn what you say or think!” As Barron prepared to walk away, Bishop swung a powerful right fist, hitting Barron on the left side of the head. Barron fell backward on Senator Roger Bedford’s desk. Other senators rushed in to stop Bishop. Lowell, to his credit, did not hit back. It was crazy. It was terrible.

The first images I saw were on a local TV station. The next images were on CNN, already all over the country. I heard someone had seen it in Spain. Another saw it in Istanbul, Turkey. In a few hours, it was all over the world, reinforcing the worst stereotypes of Alabama. It wiped clean the emerging image built the last fifteen years of economic success.

Several Senate Democratic Caucus members decided to file a complaint with the Alabama Senate Committee Ethics and Conduct. Senator Bobby Denton, Dean of the Senate, moved to bar Bishop from the Alabama Senate Chamber and State House for the remainder of the Session. The motion was never heard because Republicans sent it to the Rules Committee and started a filibuster so the motion could not be received.

I have had my own run in with Bishop. Some years ago, he called me “Big Boy.” When I strongly objected, he offered to fight. A few weeks ago, he threatened to fight Senate Democratic Majority Leader Zeb Little who is half his size. I thought he might fight Senator Vivian Figures a month or so ago. It was terrible.

After several senators had spoken, I went to the podium and then decided not to speak. I returned to my seat. I returned to the podium because I had to speak after several Republicans vigorously defended Bishop, their fellow Republican.

Among the words I said was the following: “The Senate Committee on Ethics and Conduct will handle the long-term problem. We have to handle the immediate problem of our safety. We cannot have Senator Bishop in the Chamber. None of us are safe. Who knows when he will hit another senator? Who knows when another senator will follow his bad example?

Senator Bishop spoke shortly after I finished. He refused to apologize to Senator Barron. He in fact said he would do the same thing again under similar circumstances. He said Barron called him a “son of a bitch.” Barron and others standing nearby denied such a statement. Bishop announced that he was leaving the Senate Floor and building.

Bishop immediately went on the offensive. He called a press conference and said that Barron was talking about his mother by calling him a “son of a bitch.” He has been all over the media playing the victim when he is in fact the perpetrator.

The Alabama State Senate has been in lock down for nearly the entire legislative session. Tempers have often flared but this it the first time physical violence has occurred. It was a sad, sad day for Alabama.

Barron is caught in a bind. If he swears out a warrant for Bishop’s arrest, he will continue and expand the blow to Alabama’s reputation. If he is all over the media, the same result will ensue. If he takes neither of these courses, people will assume he did something wrong. Either way, Alabama loses.

This is terrible. Terrible for the Alabama Senate; terrible for the Alabama Legislature; terrible for the state of Alabama; and terrible for our people. We simply cannot have legislators hitting other legislators, especially on the Senate Floor. We must take action, strong action, lest we be sorry.

Now on to the Daily Diary.

Saturday - I was at my Selma office early. I then attended an 8:00 a.m. Unity Breakfast before returning to my office to work. I attended the Black Belt Community Foundation Grants Awards where I made remarks. I talked to various leaders including the following: Dr. C. A. Lett, pastor of Calvary Baptist Church; Ginger Avery Buckner of the Alabama Trial Lawyers Association; and Ralph Paige of the Federation of Southern Cooperatives. I worked into the night.

Sunday - I did Radio Sunday School, Radio Education and Sunday Review. I attended Sunday School and Church. I talked to the following: Sarah Hinton of Perry County; Josephine Curtis of Dallas County; Dr. James Mitchell of Wallace Community College; and Senator Lowell Barron. I talked education with Dr. Fannie McKenzie over Sunday Dinner and worked late into the night.

Monday - I worked on Sketches and participated in the Black Belt Community Foundation (BBCF) Board meeting. I talked to the following: Harry Wormley of Alabama Power; George McMillan of Birmingham; Dr. Carol P. Zippert of BBCF; Julian Smith of Alabama Power; Dr. Geraldine Allen of Troy University; and Lobbyist Carol Brown of Montgomery. I also met with a group of ministers and others at Wallace Community College. I returned to my office to work deep into the night.

Tuesday - I talked to the following: Judge Tommy Jones; Senator Roger Bedford; businessman Randall Miller; Lorraine Capers of Selma; Bob Booth of the Two Year College System; Lester Brown of Greene County; Selma City Council President George Evans; Wilcox County Revenue Officer; Janice Johns; and Greg Hawley of Birmingham. I traveled to Wilcox County where I participated in a meeting of the Gee’s Bend Quilters. I returned to Selma to work into the night.

Wednesday - I called in on the Faya’s Fire Radio Program and participated in several conference calls. I talked to the following: Margaret Bentley of the Black Belt Action Commission (BBAC); Governor Bob Riley; Mary Ann Pettway of Gee’s Bend; and Senator Myron Penn. I called into the radio program Public Conversation before traveling to Montgomery for a series of meetings in preparation for the last day of the legislative session. I talked with various persons including Consultant Rick Heartsill. I shared dinner with several senators and others and worked into the night.

Thursday - I began the day before 7:00 a.m. and continued until midnight. I talked to many leaders, participated in many meetings, including several about Senator Charles Bishop’s assaulting of Senator Lowell Barron. I helped draft a complaint against Senator Bishop. The Senate was in session until midnight, mostly in a filibuster by Republicans. I passed one bill and voted on many before returning to Selma after midnight.

Friday - I began writing Sketches and talked to the following: Senator Roger Bedford; Senator Lowell Barron; Joyce Bigbee and Norris Green of the Legislative Fiscal Office; Deborah Anthony of the Legislative Reference Service; Consultant Bill Drinkard; Greg Hawley; and Elizabeth North of Birmingham. I traveled to Montgomery to appear on Alabama Public Television (APT) and talked with Agriculture & Industries Commissioner Ron Sparks before returning to Selma to work into the night.

EPILOGUE - Sometimes one action in one fleeting moment can define an institution, a people, a state. Bishop’s hitting of Senator Lowell Barron is such an action. It was over in less than a minute, but it will define the Alabama Senate and indeed Alabama for years to come.

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