State Rep. Mary Beth Canty went on WGN yesterday to talk about ethics reform. Instead, she spent the interview calling for reforms House Republicans have already introduced, while refusing to answer basic questions about whether she supports embattled Speaker Chris Welch.
Rep. Canty started by saying Springfield must address its “culture of harassment.”
“For us to really focus on solving the problem that we have in Springfield, this culture of harassment.”
We agree.
But when given the opportunity to address the leader of her own caucus and questions surrounding his handling of sexual harassment allegations against former State Rep. Harry Benton, Canty refused to answer.
She stated:
“You know, I think that’s a political question, right? And what I want to be focused on is solving the problem that we have right now. I think we have a culture that does not protect people who come forward.”
You cannot claim to be focused on fixing a culture of harassment while refusing to answer questions about the person leading your caucus and his handling of sexual harassment allegations.
Canty also pointed to Speaker Welch's working group as evidence that House Democrats are preparing to address the problem.
“We’ve got a working group and look forward to seeing what they put out. And so I feel confident in our ability to continue to have these hard conversations and solve this problem going forward.”
Unfortunately for Rep. Canty, the Speaker's working group is already falling apart. Four House Democrats have stepped away, saying they were never asked for permission to be included, while Rep. Murri Briel resigned amid her own workplace scandal. And these are not hard conversations, Democrats need to stop supporting those who commit sexual harassment and those who cover it up.
The good news for Rep. Canty is that House Republicans are not waiting on another Democratic working group. We already have legislation ready for a vote.
Just yesterday, House Republicans called for passage of:
- HB 1382 (Spain): Gives the Legislative Inspector General the authority to issue subpoenas without prior approval and requires ethics commissions to release reports to the public within 60 days.
- HB 1554 (McCombie): Prohibits the use of campaign funds for criminal defense costs related to misconduct as a public official, sexual harassment, or discrimination claims.
- HB 1727 (Elik): Suspends pension benefits for public officials charged with felonies connected to their public service and permanently revokes those benefits upon conviction.