McCormick pitches statewide harassment reporting tool
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While Indianapolis grapples with the reckoning happening inside the City-County Building, Democratic gubernatorial candidate Jennifer McCormick has put forth a proposal to protect public employees statewide.
The big picture: McCormick released an ethics plan last week that she says will increase governmental transparency, lobbyist regulation and elected official accountability.
- The plan would prohibit lobbyists from gifting anything of value to a legislator and standardize campaign finance and statement of economic interest reporting.
Zoom in: McCormick would also create a confidential mechanism to report sexual harassment at the state or local level.
- Under her plan, the Inspector General would establish a tool for reporting sexual harassment committed by state or local elected or appointed officials and lobbyists.
- Outcomes of investigations would be reported to the state ethics committee.
- If the harasser were an elected official, the ethics committee would publicize the findings.
What she's saying: "Hoosiers deserve a transparent, ethical government above reproach," McCormick said in a news release.
The other side: Sen. Mike Braun, the Republican candidate for governor, told reporters Friday that he generally supports the idea of an anonymous reporting tool.
- "I haven't read her ethics proposal but I think with what did occur that probably something needs to be done," he said, referencing the allegations made against Indianapolis administrators. "I don't know what's particularly in there, but I can't imagine it would be too off base in terms of how you'd approach that issue."