The issue focused on $9.4 million in California tax revenue that had been misappropriated to pay for police cars, mobile electronic devices and computer systems.

In the case of software technology, Texas Republicans said they were taking "unprecedented action" after conservative activists brought a lawsuit against them for trying to stop private companies from making Windows 95 machines. The PC platform used by Microsoft Windows was seen as having turned Apple computers into smartphone phones.

That technology is now being sold at retail through Microsoft