LINCOLN — The Nebraska Legislature appears headed for a review of how it handles workplace harassment complaints by employees and how it handles senators who breach ethical standards.

"Inadequacies" in the current complaint process were illuminated after a recent complaint was filed against then-Sen. Mike Groene, said State Sen. Machaela Cavanaugh on Monday, March 28. In addition, she requested that members of the Legislature's Executive Board establish a "Special Ethics Investigative Committee" to study and recommend changes in the state's complaint process.

Cavanaugh joined Sens. Julia Slama and Wendy DeBoer who have also asked for a re-examination of the Legislature's workplace policies. The chairman of the Executive Board, Sen. Dan Hughes, promised to craft an interim study that better reflects the interests of the three senators. Although Cavanaugh requested that changes be made, she said she is not set on any specific restructuring. Although, her resolution called for a three male and three female legislative ethics committee.

Cavanaugh and other senators have complained that legislative employees have little direction when it comes to submitting allegations of inappropriate behavior by bosses or co-workers. Staffers work in a gray area due to their status more as employees to individual senators rather than as employees to the state.

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