Lobbyist Says She Was Harassed By Sitting PA Lawmaker, Calls For Change In Misconduct Rules
Recalling incident, calls for House rules change to protect anyone from harassment by lawmaker
January 30, 2023
8 Comments
Recalling incident, calls for House rules change to protect anyone from harassment by lawmaker
Speaker Mark Rozzi’s listening tour heard some unsettling news and a call for change Friday night in Philadelphia.
Andi Perez, a lobbyist for one of the state’s most influential unions, said she was sexually harassed by a state legislator and asked Pennsylvania lawmakers to strengthen the legislature’s misconduct policy.
The representative for the Service Employees International Union 32BJ in Harrisburg shared her story of discussing legislation with a sitting lawmaker outside the Capitol building when he harassed her.
“This lawmaker decided to caress my leg — while I was wearing a skirt — all the while telling me he was impressed by my passion and knowledge of the issues we were discussing. … I moved away from him, hoping he would stop,“ Perez said. “He did not.”
“I’ve worked for SEUIBJ32 for eight years and in politics in some form for over 20 years. I’ve had my fair share of inappropriate and demoralizing experiences at the hands of elected officials who I thought were allies to myself and the labor movement.
“In the labor movement, we fight for safe and healthy workplaces. while legislators might take the right votes to support our labor movement, they are not allies to labor if they harass workers and make workplaces unsafe.”
When Perez tried to file a complaint with the House Ethics Committee, she said, she was told that under House rules, only employees of the House can file such complaints. “There was nothing in the House rules that allowed leadership to officially take any further action,” she said.
Perez said she wants the House rules to change to “protect any person from harassment from a lawmaker.”
She did not identify the legislator who harassed her.
According to her testimony, Perez’s experience has already prompted a response inside the legislature as State Rep. Kate Klunk (R-York) proposed a rule change last year that would expand the House Ethical Conduct Rules and procedures to also apply to complaints of sexual harassment made against a member or officer of the House in circumstances related to their office or employment.”
Perez said Klunk’s proposal, which was stalled in the House Rules Committee, would be a “step toward changing the culture of Harrisburg.”
At the conclusion of her remarks, Rozzi told her: “Thank you, Andi. Thank you for your bravery.”
Two more “listening tour” dates have been announced:
Wednesday, Feb. 1: State College, Barron Innovation Hub, 123 S. Burrows St., 2-4 p.m.
Thursday, Feb. 2: Wilkes-Barre, King’s College Campus Center, 116 N. Main St., 6-8 p.m.
Speaker Mark Rozzi’s listening tour heard some unsettling news and a call for change Friday night in Philadelphia.
Andi Perez, a lobbyist for one of the state’s most influential unions, said she was sexually harassed by a state legislator and asked Pennsylvania lawmakers to strengthen the legislature’s misconduct policy.
The representative for the Service Employees International Union 32BJ in Harrisburg shared her story of discussing legislation with a sitting lawmaker outside the Capitol building when he harassed her.
“This lawmaker decided to caress my leg — while I was wearing a skirt — all the while telling me he was impressed by my passion and knowledge of the issues we were discussing. … I moved away from him, hoping he would stop,“ Perez said. “He did not.”
“I’ve worked for SEUIBJ32 for eight years and in politics in some form for over 20 years. I’ve had my fair share of inappropriate and demoralizing experiences at the hands of elected officials who I thought were allies to myself and the labor movement.
“In the labor movement, we fight for safe and healthy workplaces. while legislators might take the right votes to support our labor movement, they are not allies to labor if they harass workers and make workplaces unsafe.”
When Perez tried to file a complaint with the House Ethics Committee, she said, she was told that under House rules, only employees of the House can file such complaints. “There was nothing in the House rules that allowed leadership to officially take any further action,” she said.
Perez said she wants the House rules to change to “protect any person from harassment from a lawmaker.”
She did not identify the legislator who harassed her.
According to her testimony, Perez’s experience has already prompted a response inside the legislature as State Rep. Kate Klunk (R-York) proposed a rule change last year that would expand the House Ethical Conduct Rules and procedures to also apply to complaints of sexual harassment made against a member or officer of the House in circumstances related to their office or employment.”
Perez said Klunk’s proposal, which was stalled in the House Rules Committee, would be a “step toward changing the culture of Harrisburg.”
At the conclusion of her remarks, Rozzi told her: “Thank you, Andi. Thank you for your bravery.”
Two more “listening tour” dates have been announced:
Wednesday, Feb. 1: State College, Barron Innovation Hub, 123 S. Burrows St., 2-4 p.m.
Thursday, Feb. 2: Wilkes-Barre, King’s College Campus Center, 116 N. Main St., 6-8 p.m.
Speaker Mark Rozzi’s listening tour heard some unsettling news and a call for change Friday night in Philadelphia.
Andi Perez, a lobbyist for one of the state’s most influential unions, said she was sexually harassed by a state legislator and asked Pennsylvania lawmakers to strengthen the legislature’s misconduct policy.
The representative for the Service Employees International Union 32BJ in Harrisburg shared her story of discussing legislation with a sitting lawmaker outside the Capitol building when he harassed her.
“This lawmaker decided to caress my leg — while I was wearing a skirt — all the while telling me he was impressed by my passion and knowledge of the issues we were discussing. … I moved away from him, hoping he would stop,“ Perez said. “He did not.”
“I’ve worked for SEUIBJ32 for eight years and in politics in some form for over 20 years. I’ve had my fair share of inappropriate and demoralizing experiences at the hands of elected officials who I thought were allies to myself and the labor movement.
“In the labor movement, we fight for safe and healthy workplaces. while legislators might take the right votes to support our labor movement, they are not allies to labor if they harass workers and make workplaces unsafe.”
When Perez tried to file a complaint with the House Ethics Committee, she said, she was told that under House rules, only employees of the House can file such complaints. “There was nothing in the House rules that allowed leadership to officially take any further action,” she said.
Perez said she wants the House rules to change to “protect any person from harassment from a lawmaker.”
She did not identify the legislator who harassed her.
According to her testimony, Perez’s experience has already prompted a response inside the legislature as State Rep. Kate Klunk (R-York) proposed a rule change last year that would expand the House Ethical Conduct Rules and procedures to also apply to complaints of sexual harassment made against a member or officer of the House in circumstances related to their office or employment.”
Perez said Klunk’s proposal, which was stalled in the House Rules Committee, would be a “step toward changing the culture of Harrisburg.”
At the conclusion of her remarks, Rozzi told her: “Thank you, Andi. Thank you for your bravery.”
Two more “listening tour” dates have been announced:
Wednesday, Feb. 1: State College, Barron Innovation Hub, 123 S. Burrows St., 2-4 p.m.
Thursday, Feb. 2: Wilkes-Barre, King’s College Campus Center, 116 N. Main St., 6-8 p.m.
Speaker Mark Rozzi’s listening tour heard some unsettling news and a call for change Friday night in Philadelphia.
Andi Perez, a lobbyist for one of the state’s most influential unions, said she was sexually harassed by a state legislator and asked Pennsylvania lawmakers to strengthen the legislature’s misconduct policy.
The representative for the Service Employees International Union 32BJ in Harrisburg shared her story of discussing legislation with a sitting lawmaker outside the Capitol building when he harassed her.
“This lawmaker decided to caress my leg — while I was wearing a skirt — all the while telling me he was impressed by my passion and knowledge of the issues we were discussing. … I moved away from him, hoping he would stop,“ Perez said. “He did not.”
“I’ve worked for SEUIBJ32 for eight years and in politics in some form for over 20 years. I’ve had my fair share of inappropriate and demoralizing experiences at the hands of elected officials who I thought were allies to myself and the labor movement.
“In the labor movement, we fight for safe and healthy workplaces. while legislators might take the right votes to support our labor movement, they are not allies to labor if they harass workers and make workplaces unsafe.”
When Perez tried to file a complaint with the House Ethics Committee, she said, she was told that under House rules, only employees of the House can file such complaints. “There was nothing in the House rules that allowed leadership to officially take any further action,” she said.
Perez said she wants the House rules to change to “protect any person from harassment from a lawmaker.”
She did not identify the legislator who harassed her.
According to her testimony, Perez’s experience has already prompted a response inside the legislature as State Rep. Kate Klunk (R-York) proposed a rule change last year that would expand the House Ethical Conduct Rules and procedures to also apply to complaints of sexual harassment made against a member or officer of the House in circumstances related to their office or employment.”
Perez said Klunk’s proposal, which was stalled in the House Rules Committee, would be a “step toward changing the culture of Harrisburg.”
At the conclusion of her remarks, Rozzi told her: “Thank you, Andi. Thank you for your bravery.”
Two more “listening tour” dates have been announced:
Wednesday, Feb. 1: State College, Barron Innovation Hub, 123 S. Burrows St., 2-4 p.m.
Thursday, Feb. 2: Wilkes-Barre, King’s College Campus Center, 116 N. Main St., 6-8 p.m.
Will tonight's U.S. Senate debate affect your decision?
Loading ...