In some alternate reality, this kind of thing would happen every day. 59 Democratic state legislators in Texas went walkabout to avoid voting on measures to aid their opponents. While the renegades were off in a Holiday Inn across the state line in Oklahoma, where Texas state troopers could only politely request that the legislators return (they declined), the Republican speaker of the house ordered the House of Representatives in Austin locked to ensure no further members went AWOL.

It was reported that the underemployed members spent Monday night in the chamber playing with toy balls and whistling the Star Spangled Banner.

American politics, gotta love it.