DENVER (AP) – State lawmakers in Colorado and New Mexico have begun revisiting their sexual misconduct policies.
It’s part of a wider effort by legislatures around the country to address questions about whether they are doing enough to deter predatory behavior and protect victims.
In Colorado, lawmakers voted Friday to hire a consultant to review the Legislature’s sexual harassment policy. New Mexico lawmakers published a first draft of proposed revisions to sexual harassment rules and disciplinary procedures.
New Mexico state Reps. Jim Dines, R-Bernalillo, left, and. Kelly Fajardo, R-Belen, attend a meeting of state lawmakers on Friday, Dec. 15, 2017, in Santa Fe, N.M., about proposed revisions to the state Legislature’s policy against sexual harassment. The two lawmakers have taken on leading roles as the New Mexico Legislature is rewrites its anti-harassment policy in response to concerns that widespread misconduct has gone unchecked. Statehouses nationwide are wrestling with new revelations about sexual misconduct. (AP Photo/Morgan Lee)
Similar moves are underway in California.
The efforts are aimed at adding accountability, increasing openness and protecting those who come forward with accusations at a time when lawmakers in many states have been forced to resign over sexual misconduct claims.
New Mexico state Rep. Brian Egolf, D-Santa Fe, left; Senate President Mary Kay Papen, D-Las Cruces, center; and Senate Majority Leader Peter Wirth, D-Santa Fe, right, attend a meeting of state lawmakers on Friday, Dec. 15, 2017, in Santa Fe, N.M., about proposed revisions to the state Legislature’s policy against sexual harassment. The New Mexico Legislature is rewriting its anti-harassment policy in response to concerns that widespread misconduct has gone unchecked. Statehouses nationwide are wrestling with new revelations about sexual misconduct. (AP Photo/Morgan Lee)
Lobbyist Vanessa Alarid, of Albuquerque, speaks at a meeting of state lawmakers on Friday, Dec. 15, 2017, in Santa Fe, N.M., about proposed revisions to the state Legislature’s policy against sexual harassment. The New Mexico Legislature is rewriting its anti-harassment policy in response to concerns that widespread misconduct has gone unchecked. Alarid has accused a former lawmaker of pressuring her to have sex in exchange for support of one of her measures. (AP Photo/Morgan Lee)
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