Missouri Lawmakers Propose An Intern Dress Code To Stop Colleagues From

As lawmakers continue to mull over changes to the Missouri Capitol’s intern program, the speaker of the Missouri House is putting the kibosh on changes to the chamber’s dress code.

Rep. Kevin Engler, a Farmington Republican, was chosen to lead the effort to craft a new policy after House Speaker John Diehl was forced to resign following revelations by The Star that he exchanged sexually suggestive texts with a 19-year-old House intern. According to McCaskill’s office they were the two who recommended the dress code.

King says it would remove “one more distraction” for lawmakers. She agreed with suggestions such as minimum number of college credit hours completed and a GPA requirment [sic].

“The members who were tasked with reviewing the intern policy for the House did an outstanding job in developing a list of recommendations that I believe are a step toward improving the culture at the state Capitol”, Richardson wrote.

And kudos to these men for being all equal opportunity and saying the boys need a dress code too because, hey, sometimes male Republican lawmakin’ types like the dude interns too, and we can’t have those boys coming in showing everybody their shaft cleavage, even if that IS the popular style these days.

“Harassing interns is” the problem, LaFaver said, later adding: “If my plaid jacket or the sight of a woman’s bare knee distracts you from your legislative duties, I would look for other work”. Meanwhile Reps. Kidd and King, being Republican boys, are all “but when they come in here looking too sexy, my peener does that thing and I can’t stand up without getting embarrassed”.

The collective Missouri General Assembly is known for a lot of things.

Then last month, Senator Paul LeVota, D-Independence, submitted his resignation following allegations that he made unwanted sexual advances toward interns.

Some of the preliminary suggestions mentioned in the Star’s story received pushback from two interns who publicly accused LeVota of harassment.

“To insinuate that the way we’re dressed impacts their ability to police themselves and they don’t have the inner strength to behave themselves”, she said. Reporting and subsequent investigations need to be handled by an independent party or organization having experience dealing with sexual harassment and/or sexual violence, and is able to provide adequate support for those victimized by inappropriate behaviors or worse.

Are dress codes the answer? You know, like adult members of society? Become a source for St. Louis Public Radio and tell us: What’s going on in Jefferson City?