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In 2018, after several behavior scandals involving politicians surfaced, the House adopted a rule requiring the development of a code of conduct and a sexual harassment policy for elected officials.

“Scandal must no longer plague our Legislature,” Fernandez said.

The first allegation and removal of an Arizona lawmaker in nearly 27 years involved Rep. Don Shooter, R-Yuma, who was accused of harassing women with crude comments and gestures. He was expelled.

After that, state Sen. Steve Montenegro, R-Litchfield Park, was caught exchanging flirtatious text messages and photos with a junior-level Senate staffer. He had resigned from the Senate in 2018 to run for Congress but was defeated in the special election to replace U.S. Rep. Trent Franks.

Last week, Rep. David Stringer, R-Prescott, resigned after several documents uncovered his alleged involvement in sex crimes in the 1980s.

What now?

“We as representatives answer to our voters, they are our laws,” said Rep. Mitzi Epstein, D-Phoenix.

Thorough training on the respect of colleagues, especially women in a workplace can solve a lot of problems regarding crude and offensive language and behavior, Epstein said.

Other Democratic representatives agreed. Rep. Reginald Bolding, D-Laveen, said there’s an opportunity to show the voters of Arizona that elected officials take the issue seriously.

“We’ve seen the resignation of Stringer this past Thursday, and that is partly because he was not fulfilling what voters in this district sent him to do here,” Bolding said.

Bolding said Stringer’s background in sex crimes and behavior towards his voters are examples why the House needs a code of conduct.

“We have to make sure as a House we stand up and hold ourselves accountable,” Bolding said. “As members, we have ethics to hold ourselves accountable and that is what the code of conduct committee can do.”

About 20 days remain in the current session.