The story shared by one lobbyist, Pamela Lopez, of a legislator masturbating in front of her in a bar bathroom has sparked investigations by the state Senate and Assembly. Lopez’s tale underscores a systemic flaw in the state’s protections for women who work in — but are not employees of — the state Capitol. Female lobbyists say they feel there are few avenues to lodge workplace complaints against legislators, staff and lobbyists with different employers. State Sen. Nancy Skinner (D-Berkeley), a former chair of the Assembly Rules committee, said she wants to shore up protections for women not employed in the Capitol. “If I'm a lobbyist and the lobbyist who acts on me is not my employer, what are my rights?

Source: Los Angeles Times October 20, 2017 07:07 UTC