Senate Majority Leader Loretta Weinberg (D-37) today issued the following statement in response to what she described as the Governor’s “tepid expression of support”  for the ad hoc committee she is forming to seek immediate solutions to the toxic climate of misogyny, sexual abuse and harassment that continues to pervade New Jersey politics:

“I was somewhat disappointed that the Governor once again attached a big ‘if’ to his support for the establishment of an ad hoc committee to seek solutions to the toxic climate of misogyny, sexual abuse and harassment that continues to pervade New Jersey politics and government,” Weinberg said.

“The Star-Ledger article included interviews with 20 women who told of being groped, propositioned, harassed and even sexually assaulted while serving as campaign staffers, political operatives, legislators and lobbyists. We need to do everything we can to encourage women to have the courage to speak up about abuse, as Katie Brennan did.

“Our  into the Katie Brennan case produced an important set of reform bills, and I will take it as an apology from the Governor for his lack of support if he agrees to sign this legislation when we place it on his desk,” the senate majority added. “The Governor can make a major contribution to changing the climate of misogyny by announcing publicly that he is ordering his campaign lawyers to immediately release all women who worked or volunteered for his campaign from the non-disclosure agreements that threaten them with legal action if they speak publicly about the abuse and harassment they witnessed.”