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MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) — Session-long tensions in the Alabama Senate boiled over Thursday as Republican Sen. Charles Bishop of Jasper punched Democratic Sen. Lowell Barron of Fyffe in the head before the two were pulled apart. Bishop said he punched Barron after the senator called him a “son of a bitch.”

“I responded to his comment with my right hand,” Bishop said.

Barron initially refused to comment and went into a closed-door meeting with other Democrats. Sen. Vivian Figures, D-Mobile, was seen going into the Democratic meeting carrying first aid supplies, but she said Barron was not hurt.

Bishop said he regretted throwing the punch because “that’s not the way grown men solve their problems,” but he said he would not immediately apologize to Barron.

The fight came on the final day of the 2007 regular session of the Legislature as Republican senators were using delaying tactics to force the Democratic leadership to bring up an election reform bill to ban transfers of campaign donations between political action committees.

The Senate had just taken a recess Thursday afternoon when Bishop approached the chair where Barron was sitting. Moments later security officers and others rushed to separate the two senators.

Alabama Public Television tape showed Bishop taking a swing at Barron and hitting him in the head.

Republican senators and a few dissent Democrats have been using delaying tactics in the Senate all session to protest Senate rules formed by the Democratic majority that the minority coalition says are unfair.

“It’s indicative of how much tension is in the Senate right now,” said Sen. Larry Dixon, R-Montgomery.

Members of the Alabama House said the incident makes the entire Legislature look bad.

“It’s certainly a black eye on the Legislature and the Senate in particular,” said Rep. Jay Love, R-Montgomery.