North Carolina Republican lawmakers abruptly voted Wednesday morning to override Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper’s veto of the state budget, sparking chaos in the chamber by bypassing Democratic lawmakers, the latest in a series of obstructionist moves by Republicans in the state.

Dozens of Democratic state House representatives weren’t present for the vote, according to The Associated Press. Republican leadership had told them there were not going to be any votes until Wednesday afternoon.

Only 12 Democrats were present, and only nine voted, with several not even at their seats, Democratic leaders told reporters following the sudden vote.

“This is a travesty of the process and you know it,” state Rep. Deb Butler (D) said when the vote was called, according to The Charlotte Observer. “We will not yield.”

“How dare you, Mr. Speaker?” she continued, calling it a “hijacking of the process.”

“The trickery that is being evidenced by this morning is tantamount to a criminal offense,” Butler added.