PHOENIX, Arizona – A proposal to honor former U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor with a statue in the U.S. Capitol has been rejected by the Arizona House. The resolution, put forward by Republican Rep. Matt Gress, failed to pass with a vote of 21-38. The majority of lawmakers who voted against the resolution cited O’Connor’s son, Scott O’Connor, who objected to the proposal on the grounds that his mother is already set to be honored at the nation’s Capitol with statues of O’Connor and former Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg.
Scott O’Connor’s argument proved persuasive to many lawmakers. O’Connor testified at a committee hearing that a statue of his mother was unnecessary, given the plans to erect statues of O’Connor and Ginsburg at the U.S. Supreme Court. The proposal from Rep. Gress was based on the support and reverence shown for Sandra Day O’Connor.
However, not every lawmaker who voted against the resolution did so at the behest of Scott O’Connor. Rep. Alexander Kolodin, an attorney who has recently faced sanctions from the state Bar Association, opposed the resolution on the grounds that he viewed O’Connor as a poor jurist. Kolodin criticized O’Connor for making decisions based on what she believed was good policy rather than strictly on the law and the Constitution. He specifically highlighted her support for affirmative action and her stance on the Roe v. Wade decision.
Despite the failed resolution, Rep. Gress expressed his intention to reach out to Scott O’Connor to congratulate him on the bill’s failure. Gress emphasized that lawmakers had honored O’Connor’s request.
The rejection of the proposal to honor Sandra Day O’Connor with a statue in the U.S. Capitol comes as a disappointment to supporters of the former Supreme Court Justice. The decision underscores the differing opinions on O’Connor’s legacy and the impact of her judicial decisions.