SACRAMENTO, Calif. /California Newswire/ — Fulfilling his commitment to address sexual harassment at the State Capitol, Calif. Assemblymember Kevin McCarty (D – Sacramento), on Wednesday introduced AB 1750, which would require the California State Senate and the California State Assembly to seek reimbursement for any sexual harassment settlements paid by the Legislature when there is clear evidence of wrongdoing by a legislator.
The bipartisan measure is being joint-authored by Assemblymembers Catharine Baker, Christina Garcia, Todd Gloria, Lorena Gonzalez-Fletcher, Ash Kalra, Sharon Quirk-Silva, Eloise Reyes, and Marie Waldron.
According to various media reports, nearly $2 million has been paid out by California taxpayers to settle sexual harassment claims against legislators over the past 25 years. These often secret settlements are not only harmful to the public’s trust in government; they are harmful to taxpayers who are left to pay for the actions of wrongdoers.
“Why should taxpayers be on the hook for sexual harassment payouts, while sexual predators walk away with no financial accountability?” said Assemblymember Kevin McCarty. “AB 1750 will strengthen the policies of the State Senate and the State Assembly to recover financial damages from proven violators directly and hold legislators financially accountable for their actions. I look forward to working closely with the Legislative Women’s Caucus and my colleagues this year to protect legislative employees from sexual harassment, protect taxpayers and build a culture that respects and values the contributions of all people.”
AB 1750 will be considered by the California State Assembly in the spring of 2018.
Kevin McCarty represents California’s 7th Assembly District, which include the cities of Sacramento, West Sacramento and unincorporated Sacramento County. McCarty serves as Chair of the Assembly Budget Subcommittee on Education Finance.
