As noted in yesterday’s piece on the “Tyranny of the Majority at the Arizona House of Representatives,” House Democratic Minority Whip Reginald Bolding made a motion to institute expulsion proceedings against Legislative District One Representative David Stringer after it was revealed that he was the subject of sexual misconduct charges while living in Maryland 35 years ago.
The Speaker of the House, Russell Bowers ruled that Representative Bolding was out of order and Republicans were spared having to vote in support of such a “radioactive” and “repulsive” figure who, like Don Shooter last year, has not seen the need to resign for this revelation and for his racist comments over the last several months.
To their credit, Republican House Member Kelly Townsend finally led the way in referring the Stringer matter through a complaint to the House Ethics Committee. If the complaint against Stringer proceeds without any new revelations or insights, the entire House may then proceed to vote to censure or expel him.
The question for Republicans is what took so long to file the complaint?