Three Arizona State Representatives, Justin Heap (R-Mesa), David Marshall (R-Snowflake), and Lupe Diaz (R-Benson), announced Monday that they filed an ethics complaint against Representative Stephanie Stahl Hamilton (D-Flagstaff) after it was discovered she was removing Bibles on display at the State Capitol and hiding them from sight.
“Today I, @DaveMarshallAZ & @LupeDiaz4AZ filed an ethics complaint against Rep. Stephanie Stahl Hamilton. We will not allow a single Member to decide for the whole Legislature & the millions of faithful Arizonans that their beliefs & values are no longer welcome in government,” Heap shared.
Today I, @DaveMarshallAZ & @LupeDiaz4AZ filed an ethics complaint against Rep. Stephanie Stahl Hamilton. We will not allow a single Member to decide for the whole Legislature & the millions of faithful Arizonans that their beliefs & values are no longer welcome in government. pic.twitter.com/J4C0bjX6jb
— Az State Rep. Justin Heap (@azjustinheap) May 2, 2023
The Arizona Sun Times reached out to the House Majority & Minority Caucuses for comments but received no responses before press time.
The lawmakers addressed their complaint to State Representative Joseph Chaplik (R-Scottsdale), who chairs the House Ethics Committee, alleging that Stahl Hamilton’s (pictured above, left) actions were disrespectful.
As reported by The Sun Times, the controversy began in March when staff members of the House noticed two Bibles kept on display in the House’s members-only lounge had gone missing. After security searched the area, the books were discovered hidden beneath chair cushions. However, the Bibles again went missing, with one being found in a nearby refrigerator, so the security team installed a temporary camera in the room. Stahl Hamilton, a Presbyterian minister, was caught on camera stealing the Bibles in a third incident.
Initially, the lawmaker claimed her actions were “playful commentary on the separation of church and state;” however, the Arizona Republic reported that she made an official apology on the House floor. She stated she has “the utmost respect” for scripture and people of faith and intended her actions to protest mixing religion and government, but never meant to offend anyone.
However, Heap (pictured above, right), Marshall (pictured above, right center), and Diaz (pictured above, left center) wrote they did not buy Stahl Hamilton’s remarks. They took issue with the fact she only made the statement after being caught and stated if she did not like Bible’s being in the lounge, she could have notified House leadership instead of acting in secrecy.
Accordingly, the Republicans brought three charges against Stahl Hamilton, starting with disorderly behavior. Because she hid the Bibles underneath chair cushions, causing people to inadvertently sit on “their own sacred texts,” they argued that her actions were “obviously contrary to the rules of good order and decorum and deeply offensive to the public sense of morality.” Additionally, they pointed to Haynes v. Smith, a 2006 court case stating that offending public religious beliefs is “unbecoming” conduct for a public employee.
The next charge they made was that Stahl Hamilton committed theft. The Bibles are the House’s property, and Arizona law defines theft as when a person knowingly controls another person’s property “with the intent to deprive” them of that item. Moreover, the term “person” is defined by law to include governmental entities. Therefore, the lawmakers argued that whether Stahl Hamilton intended to temporarily or permanently remove the Bible from the House, her actions qualified as theft.
“A member removing property clandestinely and not disclosing its location establishes an intention to permanently deprive the House and Members of use,” the three members wrote.
The legislators also accused Stahl Hamilton of creating a hostile work environment by showing a “lack of respect for other member of the Legislature” by causing some to sit on the Bible unknowingly.
Heap, Marshall, and Diaz requested the Ethics Committee to thoroughly investigate the situation and hold Stahl Hamilton accountable for any violations of House Rules.
“Had a camera not been installed, these deeply inappropriate actions could have continued indefinitely,” the lawmakers wrote. “The people of Arizona deserve a higher standard of decorum and respect from their elected representatives.”
Amen, brothers. @DaveMarshallAZ #LD7 https://t.co/6VCd0bbeFM
— Wendy Rogers (@WendyRogersAZ) May 2, 2023
The Sun Times contacted Chaplik for a comment on the complaint but did not hear back before press time.
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Neil Jones is a reporter for The Arizona Sun Times and The Star News Network. Follow Neil on Twitter. Email tips to [email protected].
Photo “Justin Heap” by Justin Heap for State House. Photo “Stephanie Stahl Hamilton” by Arizona Legislature. Photo “David Marshall” by Representative David Marshall. Photo “Lupe Diaz” by Lupe Diaz. Background Photo “Arizona State Capitol” by Adavyd. CC BY-SA 3.0.
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