Louisiana Voice

House Resolution 4445 has now passed both the House and Senate and now heads to President Biden’s desk where he is expected to sign it into law.

But the resolution, which eliminates forced arbitration agreements for sexual assault and harassment in the workplace didn’t get the unanimous support of Louisiana’s House delegation.

Despite the resolution’s bipartisan support, Reps. Clay Higgins and Mike Johnson voted against passage.

It passed in the Senate by a voice vote, so it’s a little more difficult to hold senators accountable.

The House approved the measure earlier this week by a 335-97 vote with all votes against it being cast by Repugnantcans. The breakdown of the vote shows that all 222 Democrats and 113 Repugnantcans voted in favor and two Repugnantcans, West Virginia’s Alexander Mooney and Texas’ Jodey Arrington, did not vote.

Both of Louisiana’s nay votes should come as no surprise. Higgins is a known bigot and misogynist and Johnson is steeped in the fundamentalist belief that women are second-class citizens with no right to pursue legal action against men who harass them.

Both would apparently rather keep the current method in place whereby men accused of harassment in the workplace are able to settle cases and silence victims by using the secretive process of arbitration and then move on to the next job.

But with Biden’s signature, women will have the option of suing their abusers in state, tribal, or federal court

“It is an outrage that women and men who are abused cannot seek justice are forced to be quiet, are forced to keep the agony inside themselves, it is outrageous,” Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said. “For decades, this forced arbitration has deprived millions of people form the basic right to justice.”

Repugnantcans who have opposed the bill say it’s an overreach by the federal government in workplace matters.

Well, they would.