The Arizona House censured a Democratic state representative who was caught hiding Bibles that were placed in the House members' lounge.

Democratic state Rep. Stephanie Stahl Hamilton was recorded moving two Bibles under the couch cushions in the lounge in April, then hiding another in the refrigerator, according to the Arizona Mirror. Three Republicans filed a complaint over the incident, accusing her of theft and disorderly conduct. After a House Ethics investigation recommended disciplining her, House members voted 30-28 to censure her. A prior vote to expel her, pushed by Republicans, failed to pass in a 27-31 vote.

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During the debate over Hamilton's censure and expulsion, several Christian House members expressed offense over her conduct.

“What do we as a body value more: the reputations of Arizona politicians or the reputation of God in the world?” Republican state Rep. Justin Heap asked.

He contrasted the reaction to Hamilton's conduct with a hypothetical scenario in which a House member put a Quran in a freezer, saying it would be charged as a hate crime.

“The only hate crime that we’re fine with is with the only religious text believed in by the majority of members and the majority of Arizonans,” Heap added.

Republican state Rep. Rachel Jones said, “It is just very disturbing and offensive to think that I may have been sitting on the Bible.”

Some Democrats took the opposite view, saying that Hamilton should be forgiven, in line with the teachings of the Bible.

“One thing I learned from the Bible is to forgive and to be kind to people,” Democratic state Rep. Mae Peshlakai said. “I still believe in forgiveness.”

Democratic state Rep. Athena Salman took issue with the process through which Hamilton was caught, accusing Republicans of orchestrating a campaign to "harass and bully Stahl Hamilton" by installing "a spy cam in the members’ lounge."

Republican state Rep. David Marshall claimed that Hamilton's conduct was indicative of a wider pattern of hatred for Christianity and the Bible, pointing to tweets she made in 2020, saying she was running for office after being tired of seeing Bibles on legislators' desks.

“This is not just a protest, this is something that went on for several years, and it was done because of the disdain she has for [the] holy word,” Marshall said.

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Hamilton apologized for her actions and claimed they were a protest against the perceived lack of separation between church and state. She also described her actions as a “simple little prank.”

Aside from being a representative, Hamilton is also a Presbyterian minister.