On Friday, Arizona State Rep. Jacqueline Parker announced on Twitter that Rep. Stephanie Stahl Hamilton will be hit with an ethics complaint for stealing bibles. Stahl Hamilton, who describes herself as an ordained minister, was caught on surveillance cameras stealing bibles from the Arizona State House members lounge last week.
Stahl Hamilton justified the thefts by claiming that she believes the presence of the bibles constituted a violation of the separation of church and state.
Rep. Justin Heap, an attorney, countered Stahl Hamilton unusual interpretation of the First Amendment in a tweet with a poll:
“To all defending Rep. Stahl Hamilton’s actions as “Separation of Church & State” a question. There are many Native American religious items in the House: Prayer Rugs, Wood Carvings, Sand Paintings etc. with spiritual significance gifted to the House by the Tribes. Should they be:
Removed Immediately? 13.2%
Shoved in a refrigerator? 19.8%
Allowed to remain? 66.9%
To all defending Rep. Stahl Hamilton’s actions as “Separation of Church & State” a question. There are many Native American religious items in the House: Prayer Rugs, Wood Carvings, Sand Paintings etc. with spiritual significance gifted to the House by the Tribes. Should they be:
— Az State Rep. Justin Heap (@azjustinheap) April 29, 2023
On March 23, 2023, Capitol Security received a report that a pair of Holy Bibles, which had been proudly displayed in the House Members Lounge for decades, were missing. The next day, House security staff initiated a comprehensive search for the missing Bibles. Subsequently, it was discovered that the Bibles had been taken from their display tables, concealed underneath the cushions of two chairs where House members commonly sit while not engaged in Floor activity.
One week later, on March 29, 2023, one of the Bibles went missing again, this time discovered inside a shared kitchens’ refrigerator, having been removed from the Members Lounge by an unknown individual.
Republican members believe that while Stahl Hamilton issued an apology after being caught on camera, serious legal and factual questions remain for the Ethics Committee to investigate.
The complaint is expected to be filed with the House Ethics Committee this week.
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