Ask the average Alabamian what went on in the state Senate during the 2007 regular session, and he will probably remember conflict.

The Senate conducted little real business because Republicans and their allies blocked it. They were upset, they said, because the majority Democrats had fixed the rules to thwart the minority.

The session sunk into physical conflict that went worldwide with an Internet video. Sen. Charles Bishop, R-Jasper, slugged Sen. Lowell Barron, D-Fyffe. That episode should have motivated Senate insiders to resolve to do better in the next session.

Don’t count on it. The Associated Press reports that the two parties are still feuding, and Republican Jabo Waggoner of Vestavia Hills, the Senate minority leader, predicts that “you are going to see more of the same.”

Senators in both parties need to reflect on the probability that the average Alabamian — the man or woman they’re supposed to be serving — does not know and does not care about their partisan disagreements.

What he or she cares about is whether the Legislature does something about problems that need solving. Moreover, every Republican senator has plenty of Democratic constituents and every Democratic senator represents thousands of Republicans. Most citizens don’t want their senators’ power limited on the basis of party.

Gov. Bob Riley considered calling a special session to deal with ethics, property tax reappraisals and coastal insurance. He backed off, saying he couldn’t get Democrats to cooperate, even though many of them had agreed with his ideas about those issues during the 2006 election campaigns.

Democrats said the governor really hadn’t tried to reach consensus, and those issues could be taken up during the regular session.

It does make more sense for legislators to do their jobs during the regular session than to have an expensive special session. But will they do it?

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