House expels Harris after report of disorderly behavior

Correction: Fixes the vote count in the House.

The Arizona House of Representatives voted Wednesday 46-13 to expel Rep. Liz Harris, R-Chandler.

The expulsion comes a day after the House Ethics Committee released a report that found Harris violated a House rule and engaged in disorderly behavior for inviting testimony to a February joint elections committee that damaged the “institutional integrity of the House.”

“It’s a sad day,” said Speaker of the House Ben Toma, R-Peoria. “It’s not to be taken lightly. I don’t think it was taken lightly.”

A House resolution was filed shortly before the motion to expel Harris and the resolution was read on the floor prior to the vote. It states Harris “undermined the public’s confidence in this institution and violated the order and decorum necessary to complete the people’s work in the State of Arizona.”

“The members of the Ethics Committee unanimously found the fact-intensive evidence to show that Representative Harris engaged in disorderly behavior in violation of House Rule 1, thereby eroding the public trust in the legislative process,” the resolution said.

All Democrats and most Republicans voted to expel Harris, getting the necessary two-thirds of the House to pass the resolution.

“I’ve had to do this one other time and I think about that all the time,” said Rep. David Livingston, R-Peoria, to other members on the floor. “You will not forget this vote. Do not take it lightly.”

Livingston said his vote to expel Harris wasn’t personal, but it was standing up for the integrity of the institution of the House.

Ethics Chairman Rep. Joe Chaplik, R-Scottsdale, led the investigation and report conducted for Harris. He said he thought it was appropriate Ethics members make their own decision on the vote to expel Harris and was the only Ethics member who voted against expelling her.

The Republicans who voted against expelling Harris included many in the Freedom Caucus. Alongside Harris and Chaplik, the Republicans who voted against it include Reps. Neal Carter, David Cook, Gail Griffin, Justin Heap, Rachel Jones, Alexander Kolodin, Cory McGarr, Barbara Parker, Jacqueline Parker, Kevin Payne and Austin Smith.

According to state law, the Legislative District 13 Republican precinct committees will pick three candidates to fill Harris’ seat. Those nominees will go to the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors, which will make the final pick.