ST. PAUL, Minn. - A powerful House Republican is proposing a drastic change to state law that would make it easier to bring accused sexual harassers to court.
Lawmakers have singled out a phrase in how courts handle sexual harassment cases statewide: "severe and pervasive." They say that legal standard is far too high and has resulted in clear cases of sexual harassment being dismissed.
GOP House Majority Leader Joyce Peppin unveiled a bill Monday that would make clear that standard no longer applies. She says it would likely result in more sexual harassment complaints being filed and called that a good thing.
It's part of a concerted effort to address sexual harassment nationwide. Three Minnesota lawmakers, including former U.S. Sen. Al Franken, were forced to resign after they were accused of repeated sexual harassment.