Move quickly on anti-harassment measures for Missouri legislature
The Missouri House is on the right track with a series of proposals aimed at curbing bad behavior by lawmakers when dealing with interns, staffers and other women who deal with the General Assembly.
Clearly, procedures are necessary. Former House speaker John Diehl, a Republican from St. Louis County, was forced to resign at the end of this year’s legislative session after The Star published copies of flirtatious texts he exchanged with a 19-year-old college intern.
Not long after Diehl’s departure, former state senator Paul LeVota, a Democrat from Independence, stepped down after two former interns told similar stories of the senator making sexual overtures to them and treating them badly once they rejected him.
Dozens of women told Kansas City Star reporters of a culture of sexual harassment and inappropriate conduct that has prevailed in the Capitol for years.
The stronger points of the policy unveiled last week by House Speaker Todd Richardson include an automatic investigation by an outside attorney in response to sexual harassment complaints, a ban on romantic fraternization between lawmakers and staffers and interns, and annual conduct and ethics training for House members.
The House would also hire an ombudsman to act as a resource for college interns, universities and the House administration.
These are good steps that emerged from a curiously secretive process. A work group appointed after the scandal involving Diehl never met publicly, and even some would-be members said they were excluded.
House leaders are now promising to hold a public hearing on the proposals. That needs to be done quickly. As House minority leader Jake Hummel of St. Louis pointed out in a recent letter to Richardson, universities are in the process of selecting interns to work in Jefferson City for the legislative session beginning in January.
Some of the House proposals mirror steps the state Senate took while investigating complaints about LeVota. The two chambers should seek consistency in their policies.
And they must convey a sense that anti-harassment measures will be taken seriously. All lawmakers currently are required to take training, and a complaint process is in place. However, women have told Star reporters they suspect they, not the legislators, will shoulder the consequences should they complain.
Effective anti-harassment policies are a good start, but legislative leaders must do much more to change the freewheeling, often unprofessional culture of the Capitol. Ending or strictly limiting free meals and drinks from lobbyists is another essential step.
Gov. Jay Nixon’s call for a shorter legislative session deserves consideration. Lawmakers currently are in Jefferson City for part of each week during a five-month period. That leaves too much time for partying and for concocting frivolous legislation.
A condensed session could lead to greater efficiency in governing and less time for lawmakers to get into trouble in and out of the Capitol.
This story was originally published November 1, 2015 at 8:00 AM with the headline "Move quickly on anti-harassment measures for Missouri legislature."