State & Local Government Policy, Business and Technology

In states, legislators face flood of harassment allegations

The Hill: The powerful chairman of the Arizona state House Appropriations Committee was suspended from his post on Friday after eight women accused him of inappropriate sexual advances.

The lawmaker, Rep. Don Shooter (R), is one of more than a dozen state legislators who face allegations of sexual harassment or improper behavior in capitals across the country, as female lawmakers, lobbyists and staff increasingly speak up about what many call a pervasive culture of mistreatment.

The allegations cross party and state lines, targeting some of the most powerful men in state government, from Kentucky’s House Speaker to the chairmen of prominent committees in Florida and Minnesota.

And many of the women who have made their accusations public have strongly hinted that other legislators will be implicated in the coming days or weeks.

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