Tim Carpenter
The Capital-Journal
2/24/2011
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS/ Union members wait in the Statehouse foyer Thursday for Kansas House members to enter their chambers. They were protesting a bill prohibiting labor organizations from deducting money from members' paychecks for political action committee dues.
Kansas Republicans accused organized labor activists Thursday of forcing female legislators to endure sexually explicit and degrading comments while passing into the House chamber before a vote to end automatic deductions from paychecks for union political causes.
Democrats and a representative of the Kansas AFL-CIO disputed the GOP claims, and both sides pointed to video evidence to support their interpretation of events.
House Speaker Mike O’Neal, R-Hutchinson, said the vocal crowd crossed the line by engaging in salty commentary outside of the House chamber and by shouting inside the chamber when the paycheck bill came to a vote.
“There were comments of sexually explicit nature directed at both female legislators and female staff,” O’Neal said. “That’s the most disrespectful display from the gallery I’ve seen in 27 years I’ve been here.”
He said two union sympathizers attempted to intimidate a male House member into voting against the measure, which was passed 75-46 and forwarded to the Senate.
The article continues at CJonline.com
H/T Weasel Zippers
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