COLUMBIA--It was a simple piece of legislation, a bill that would require drinking straws in South Carolina restaurants to be covered with a wrapper.

When state Rep. John Graham Altman III joined a charge to defeat the measure, it was evidently the last straw for Columbia Rep. Leon Howard.

On Thursday morning, after his straw bill was narrowly defeated, Howard charged Altman's desk on the House floor and started berating the West Ashley Republican, calling him a "racist bastard" among other things.

A crowd formed around the two men, with Rep. David Mack of North Charleston and others trying to separate them. Shortly after Howard challenged Altman to "step outside," House Sergeant at Arms Mitchell Dorman broke up the minor melee.

Howard, a Democrat, said later that Altman's move against his bill was part of a disturbing pattern of blocking legislation by black lawmakers. Altman said he was dumbfounded.

"It was a drive-by assault," he said. "I just thought it was a silly, frivolous bill not worthy of our time. I didn't know it was a Black Caucus bill."

Most lawmakers were reluctant to talk about the incident but conceded that long-standing issues were at play. Some Republicans said Howard owed Altman an apology; some Democrats said Howard was just expressing a frustration many of them have with the outspoken Charleston lawmaker.

Altman said Howard has had words with him before, but he couldn't remember the subject.

Howard said that Altman has yet "to enter the new millennium" and that he is just plain ornery.

"He's the most difficult member of the body to work with," Howard said. "He's had conflict with members of the Black Caucus about that kind of racist behavior. He is constantly derogatory to African-Americans. It's time somebody took him on."

The drinking straw bill, which Howard described as "harmless," has gotten more attention than such a simple measure normally does. Some people considered it a good idea, making for more sanitary restaurants, while others said it would make South Carolina a national joke. The vote on second reading -- usually the deciding vote on a bill -- was 55-54 in favor. The close vote had members of both parties on both sides, a true non-partisan sort of thing.

But the third-reading vote -- which more often than not mirrors the second-reading vote --was 55-43 against the measure. As that vote was displayed on the House's electronic voting board, Howard approached Altman.

Howard said there was no racial angle to the straw bill other than his sponsorship of it. He cited a House Black Caucus statistic that Altman votes with the group less than 6 percent of the time.

Specifically, Howard cited instances when Altman publicly called the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. a womanizer and defended the state's right to keep a Confederate battle flag flying on the Statehouse dome.

"He's not good for South Carolina, he's not good for race relations," Howard said.

Altman said that his votes against a statewide Martin Luther King holiday and removing the Confederate flag from the Statehouse dome don't make him a racist and that some lawmakers try to insert race into everything. Drinking straws, he said, are a prime example.

"I don't think the Black Caucus has an agenda, so I can't be against it," Altman said. "There are just some people who, if you don't vote with them, you're a racist."

Altman said that Howard threatened to try to kill some of his legislation over in the Senate during their argument. "If I'd known he was that influential, I would have been more respectful and deferential while he was cussing me out."

Howard said he would take the high road and not attempt any retaliatory moves.

"There's no rule that says other members can't get involved in local legislation; it's just a gentlemen's agreement," Howard said. "But I won't stoop to that."

There is unlikely to be any resolution of the dispute. It probably will be filed away with all the other simmering hostilities that flare up at the Statehouse now and again.

Howard walked over to Altman later Thursday morning, and the two men shook hands as a cautious Sergeant at Arms stood close by, watching for signs of violence.

Soon after shaking hands, however, they exchanged a few more unpleasantries before being separated again.