Sullivan sponsors bill on harassment policy
State Rep. Jennifer Sullivan, R-Mount Dora, said she wants to empower women, given the culture of Florida’s capital and what’s “come to light in the past year.”
Sullivan, who in 2014 became the youngest woman ever elected to the Legislature at 23, is sponsoring legislation that aims to create a uniform sexual-harassment policy for the state’s 116,000 employees, as well as lobbyists and people who work for companies contracted by state agencies. The legislation passed the House 114-0 last week, but the fate of a similar bill in the Senate is in question.
“I hope that this empowers women to know that their voice matters, that their voice can be heard,” said Sullivan, adding that she has been the victim of sexual harassment but declining to elaborate. “The policy is for all three branches of government to be handled in a uniform process.”
The proposed changes are being debated amid the backdrop of sex scandals that have rocked Tallahassee.
Sen. Jeff Clemens, DLake Worth, gave up his seat in October after reports of an extramarital affair with Tallahassee lobbyist Devon West.
Two months later, Sen. Jack Latvala, R-Clearwater, resigned after two misconduct investigations accused him of groping women he worked with. The resulting turmoil derailed Latvala’s bid for governor.
With the #MeToo movement reverberating throughout the country, Sullivan said she is seeking “lasting reform” with the legislation.
But similar legislation filed by Sen. Lauren Book, D-Plantation, was blocked by Sen. Dennis Baxley, who refused to hear it in a committee he chairs. He represents a district that includes most of Lake County.
That leaves Book scrambling to find another bill she can amend to keep the legislation alive with only a week left in the 60-day annual session.
“We have some ideas. We’re working on it,” she said. “Obviously this is of tremendous importance.”
The House bill defines sexual harassment as “unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, or other verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature from any person directed towards or in the presence of an employee,” according to a House staff analysis.
Susan MacManus, a political science professor at the University of South Florida, said she attended a panel on sexual harassment Feb. 21 in Tampa and that the issue will be a reckoning for state legislators.
“The environment today leaves no room for misunderstanding that dealing with sexual harassment is serious business, both economically and politically,” she said.
Sullivan, who represents northern Lake County and northwest Orange County, made headlines in 2015 by sponsoring a bill requiring women to wait 24 hours and visit a doctor twice before having an abortion. The bill was passed and signed by Gov. Rick Scott, but the Florida Supreme Court blocked the law last year.
Her latest legislative effort calls for training employees on laws related to sexual harassment. It also includes guidelines on romantic relationships in the workplace and requires that the accused knows the accuser’s identify.
“You’re going to need something like that to protect people on both ends of the equation,” MacManus said.
The bill also would establish a review of sexualharassment policies every two years, create a Task Force on the Prevention of Sexual Harassment and require a survey of employee attitudes about appropriate workplace behavior every other year.
Sullivan’s bill also would bar the use of political funds for legal defense. Latvala used campaign money in his race for governor to pay for legal bills in a sexual-harassment lawsuit.
The month after he resigned, the Florida Senate required lawmakers to take a mandatory onehour course on workplace and sexual harassment.
“If Republicans don’t tackle both of those things aggressively, some are going to pay the penalty next election,” MacManus said.
The #MeToo movement also has spurred considerable debate in Washington, D.C., after numerous instances of sexual harassment came to light.
Earlier this month, the U.S. House of Representatives overwhelmingly passed a bill that requires more transparency for settlement payments over sexual-harassment allegations. It also streamlines the process for federal employees to report sexual misconduct.
The furor has reached the White House. President Donald Trump took to Twitter last month to decry the lack of “due process” for men whose lives are shattered after “mere allegations.” A White House aide and speechwriter had just resigned after their ex-wives accused them of domestic abuse.
A few days later, on Valentine’s Day, Trump said he’s “totally opposed to domestic violence of any kind.”
Sullivan said she anticipates her legislation will bring deep-rooted change: “My hope is that this will bring an end to the culture of sexual harassment that up until this time has been accepted.” Information from the Associated Press was included in this report.