State Capitol had its share of sexual misconduct mishaps

SPRINGFIELD — As the sexual misconduct wave hit Hollywood, the media and other industries last fall, an open letter circulated through the Illinois Capitol demanding an end to a culture of disrespectful treatment of women. Lawmakers have been trying to decide the best way to respond, but finding consensus has been more difficult than anticipated.

The governor eventually signed legislation requiring sexual harassment training for lawmakers and others working in the Statehouse, but the debate revealed problems in reviewing such complaints. A look at the issue in Illinois:

The proposal

The letter garnered hundreds of signatures from lawmakers, lobbyists and others with political affiliations in the capital, including top names among progressives in the Legislature, including Democratic Sen. Heather Steans and Rep. Sara Feigenholtz, both of Chicago, and Democratic Reps. Robyn Gabel of Evanston and Emanuel “Chris” Welch of Hillside.

The letter was publicly released days before Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan, a Chicago Democrat, introduced legislation to add sexual harassment to a list of ethics violations for legislators and their staff members. The proposal also required them and lobbyists to undergo annual training.

Read more: http://rockrivertimes.com/2018/01/11/state-capitol-had-its-share-of-sexual-misconduct-mishaps/