Iowa Senate Democrat On Sexual Harassment Payout: Why Should Taxpayers Fund Lawmakers’ Bad Behavior?

By Rod Boshart, Gazette Des Moines BureauJOHNSTON — The top Democrat in the Iowa Senate said Wednesday her minority caucus is exploring whether legislation could be enacted to shield taxpayers from having to pay for the bad behavior of people in state government, such as a recent $1.75 million payout to settle sexual harassment findings.Senate Democratic Leader Janet Petersen of Des Moines said her members regularly are hearing complaints from constituents upset that tax dollars were used to settle an adverse jury verdict in a lawsuit brought by a former Republican Senate caucus employee, Kirsten Anderson, who said she was fired in 2013 after complaining about a “toxic” work environment.“I don't think that there is a single Iowan out there that believes they should be paying the price for what happened in the Iowa Senate,” Petersen said while recording Iowa Public Television’s “Iowa Press” program.Current practice has been that the state has paid to settle wrongful actions committed by government employees, public officials or others.