Despite sexual misconduct scandals in both chambers, leadership will remain largely unchanged.
Sarah Anne Hughes reports for BillyPenn:
HARRISBURG — The General Assembly adjourned for the final time this session without any meaningful movement on #MeToo legislation, despite the fact that several of the body’s own members have faced accusations of sexual misconduct.
In the wake of those scandals, leadership on both sides of the aisle will remain largely unchanged.
There were no votes on a package of bills offered by Democrats that would offer greater sexual harassment protections and accountability in state government. The legislation, which was offered in both the House and Senate, would ban non-disclosure agreements that hide the names of accused lawmakers and forbid the use of taxpayer money to settle sexual harassment claims against elected officials.
While the Republican chair of the Labor and Industry Committee, Rep. Rob Kauffman, initially supported the House bill, he withdrew his support after accusing Democrat Leanne Krueger-Braneky of politicizing the issue. Kauffman refused to allow Krueger-Braneky to respond to the accusation during a committee hearing.
Other bills in the Democrats’ package would:
- Extend Pennsylvania Human Relations Act workplace protections to businesses with fewer than four employees
- Extend protections to interns at workplaces across the state
- Update Employment Fair Practices notices to include examples of sexual harassment
What did pass was a Republican-introduced resolution directing the bipartisan Joint State Government Commission to study sexual misconduct in state government.
Another House resolution that would establish the Task Force on Harassment and Sexual Misconduct in the Workplace also passed, but still needs Senate approval.
