RICHMOND, Va. (AP) -- What remained of partisan collegiality in the House of Delegates lay in shambles Thursday after a floor dispute over a rare procedural move.

Democratic Del. Adam Ebbin of Alexandria wanted to strike his bill to allow collective bargaining by state and local government workers. Requests by bill sponsors to strike bills they no longer support are common and routinely granted.

But on Thursday, the House's Republican majority refused. The intent was to force Democrats to take a vote that could alienate their strong support from labor.

That provoked about an hour of angry floor speeches in which Democrats accused Republicans of bullying and Republicans said Democrats lacked the courage to take a tough vote.

A roll call vote on the motion to engross the bill was rejected 57 voting to nothing. In protest, all but two Democrats refused to vote. Republicans used an obscure parliamentary privilege to order a vote of no for each non-voting Democrat.

(Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)