AUSTIN -- Outnumbered by House Republicans determined to pass a congressional redistricting bill, all but a few Democrats went into hiding today to keep the House from meeting. The House's GOP leader responded by ordering state troopers to find and arrest the missing lawmakers.

The House walkout not only blocked the redistricting bill but also action on all other bills on the calendar. The House cannot convene without at least two-thirds of the membership, or 100 members, present on the House floor under legislative rules.

Republican House Speaker Tom Craddick locked down the House chamber so that lawmakers already present could not leave, then he expressed his disgust with the Democrats.

"It is a disgrace to run and hide," Craddick said. After the roll call, he ordered that missing lawmakers be arrested and brought back to the chamber.

House Democrats said they were taking a stand for fair treatment of the minority party. They blamed U.S. House Majority Leader Tom Delay, R-Sugar Land, for pushing the Texas House to take up redistricting against the wishes of Democrats and some GOP state lawmakers.

"We refuse to participate in an inherently unfair process that slams the door of opportunity in the face of Texas voters," they said in a statement read by state Sen. Rodney Ellis, D-Houston.

The crisis erupted this morning when, less than 30 minutes before the Texas House was due to convene, the Democrats told the House leadership in letters that they would be absent. They asked the parliamentarian to lock their voting machines until they returned.

"I do not know where they are," said Tamara Bell, chief of staff for House Democratic Caucus Chairman Jim Dunnam.

Only three Democrats remained; all are Craddick allies whom fellow Democrats have dubbed "cross dressers."

Rep. Ron Wilson of Houston, one of the three House Democrats who showed up today, said, "My whole philosophy is if you're going to impact on this process, you've got to be here." Wilson is chairman of the powerful Ways and Means Committee.

At least one other Democrat -- Rep. Sylvester Turner of Houston -- was on his way to Austin, Craddick said.

The House doorkeeper kept watch over the chamber's front door, its historic brass lock turned shut. Inside, Republicans lobbed toy balls, whistled the Star Spangled Banner and dined on white-linen covered tables.

Several Republicans complained that they never used such drastic measure when the GOP was the minority party.

More than 100 people, however, gathered in the rain outside the Capitol to rally in support of the Democratic walkout. Carrying signs that read "Tom Delay, Go Away," "Don't tread on Travis" and "Sieg heil, Tom Delay," they cheered as state senators spoke in support of the walkout.

The lawmakers had prepared for the trip Sunday night and packed clothes to allow them to stay away for four days, a legislative source told The Associated Press on condition of anonymity. That would put them past the deadline for preliminary passage of major pending bills that have been termed a priority by the Republican-controlled Legislature.

"We're leaving, and we'll stay gone 'til Thursday," one member from South Texas, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told the San Antonio Express-News.

The latest group of quorum-busters planned to leave the state to avoid having state police detain them and forcibly return them to the House floor, if necessary.

"DPS or the Rangers can't exactly come get us if we are outside of Texas," said one legislator.

Several sources said some of the members were to board a plane leaving from a Central Texas airport to rural Oklahoma. A separate group would fly to New Mexico, while a third group left by bus for New Mexico, according to the sources.

The breaking of a quorum hasn't been used in more than two decades as a parliamentary maneuver, officials said. The Democratic walkout to block redistricting is reminiscent of the 1979 "Killer Bees" walkout in the Texas Senate.

Twelve Democratic senators went into hiding to break the Senate quorum. By doing so, they killed a bill to move the Texas primary date so it would benefit former Gov. John Connally's Republican presidential bid in 1980.

Carlos Truan, one of the original Senate "Killer Bees," said such drastic tactics aren't for the faint of heart.

"They better be prepared to pay the political consequences for their actions, because there will be a hell of a price to pay," said Truan of Corpus Christi, who no longer serves in the Senate. "Breaking a quorum is a very, very major thing."

Craddick called the Democrats in hiding today the "Chicken D's."

The proposed redistricting bill is being pushed by DeLay, who says the congressional districts should reflect Texas voting patterns that have resulted in GOP control of the Legislature and every statewide office.

Democrats currently have a 17-15 majority in the state's congressional delegation. The redistricting plan before the House would allow Republicans to take four to seven of those seats away from Democrats in the next elections.

Craddick spokesman Bob Richter said a special legislative session would have to be held immediately after the regular session ends June 2.

Houston Chronicle reporter R.G. Ratcliffe and the Associated Press contributed to this report.

The lawmakers had prepared for the trip Sunday night and packed clothes to allow them to stay away for four days, a legislative source told The Associated Press on condition of anonymity. That would put them past the deadline for preliminary passage of major pending bills that have been termed a priority by the Republican-controlled Legislature.

"We're leaving, and we'll stay gone 'til Thursday," one member from South Texas, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told the San Antonio Express-News.

The latest group of quorum-busters planned to leave the state to avoid having state police detain them and forcibly return them to the House floor, if necessary.

"DPS or the Rangers can't exactly come get us if we are outside of Texas," said one legislator.

Several sources said some of the members were to board a plane leaving from a Central Texas airport to rural Oklahoma. A separate group would fly to New Mexico, while a third group left by bus for New Mexico, according to the sources.

And if it were OK to vote on legislation with only remaining members....

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Quoted:
"In the House, members have displayed courage in doing what they have done to deflect tyranny of the majority." -- State Sen. Eliot Shapleigh, D-El Paso.

Quoted:
Your not alone there, Bobby_the_Hun, Here in NYC, our democrats deserve to be exhiled.

Quoted:
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I don't care if this "silences" the socialists. They don't represent anyone in Texas except for unshaven UT grad students, Earth First vegan militant lesbians and transvestite homless drug addicts off of 6th Street.