Women Hold More Statehouse Seats Than Ever. After Metoo, Do They Feel Any Safer?

Virginia lawmaker Jackie Glass said she got a 'safety brief" when she joined the Legislature.

"I was told who not to go drink with, who not to be alone with and who to just watch out for," she said on the Statehouse floor in 2024. Addressing the male House speaker, she said, "I don't think you got that brief."

The Democrat was discussing a pervasive culture of sexual misconduct in the Statehouse, something that remains despite the MeToo movement hitting critical mass in 2017.

The movement toppled politicians , celebrities and others across the country. Allegations of harassment and misconduct, some from many years prior, came to light - highlighting a toxic culture where such behavior was perhaps as rampant and accepted as the silence that buried it.

Many state legislatures responded by adopting or enhancing policies against sexual misconduct. As the number of female state lawmakers reaches new heights, some say statehouses are less of a "boys' club."