LANSING — “For too long, women have not had a seat at the table. This has allowed a troubling patriarchal system to flourish – not just in our state houses, but throughout our state and nation. As a woman in government, and as the mother of a young daughter, I fully believe we must do more to break down the systems that have been in place for generations and in their place, build workplaces that value the contributions of women and are safe for all people regardless of gender or role in the power system.
"At the end of the day, sexual assault and sexual harassment aren’t about political party. We all have to come together to address this issue that exists in many workplaces, especially where laws affecting women and girls are made – our capitols. This fall, the Progressive Women’s Caucus formed a task force of Democratic legislators and staff that have been actively developing several strategies internally to address sexual harassment at and around the State Capitol.
"It is undeniable that sexual harassment continues to happen. The recent stories from around the country and the #MeToo phenomenon presents an opportunity for us to talk openly about the problem and find ways to comprehensively address it. Sexual harassment is never acceptable and I hope that my colleagues, our staff, and the Lansing lobby corps will join us in examining how we can best address these issues in Michigan moving forward.”