(USNewsMag.com) – After she was caught on video hiding Bibles in the State Capitol in April, the Arizona State House of Representatives voted to censure Rep. Stephanie Stahl Hamilton.
On June 13, the House voted 30-28 to censure Stahl Hamilton, who represents Tucson, with one Republican, Rep. David Cook, voting against the censure. Two Democrats did not vote because they were absent. The censure vote came after a proposal from Republican Rep. Travis Grantham to expel Stahl Hamilton. The vote to expel was short of the required two-thirds, with only 27 votes. Four Republicans voted against expelling Stahl Hamilton.
In voting against censuring Stahl Hamilton, Cook said he felt it was “overkill for a bad-chosen prank.”
Arizona state House Democrats argue the House acted improperly in going through with the censure, saying the majority vote needs to be 31.
In the state House, censure expresses severe disapproval; however, there is no penalty attached.
Three Republicans filed an ethics violation complaint against Stahl Hamilton, accusing her of both disorderly conduct and theft. On June 9, the Arizona House Ethics Committee found that Stahl Hamilton violated House rules by engaging in conduct that was both disrespectful as well as disorderly. However, the panel did not recommend any punishment.
On March 23, Bibles located in the members-only lounge of the Arizona State House went missing. The Bibles were discovered under the cushions of two chairs by the House security team. The following week another Bible went missing only to be discovered inside a refrigerator.
After the two incidents, cameras were installed by the House security team to monitor actions in the room. An April 10 video shows Stahl Hamilton placing Bibles under seat cushions.
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