The Missouri House of Representatives has kicked off a new session by tightening the dress code and requiring female legislators to cover their arms and wear blazers while in the State Capitol.
Lawmakers met Wednesday to discuss changes to House rules, as is customary at the start of a new General Assembly every two years. The existing dress code, last updated in 2021, requires women to wear “a dress or skirt or slacks with a blazer or sweater and appropriate dress shoes or boots”.
Republican State Rep. Anne Kelly has passed an amendment requiring women to wear jackets, defined as both blazers and knit blazers, with dresses, skirts, or slacks, and to wear dress shoes or boots. Kelly said the update was necessary because “it is essential to maintain a formal and professional atmosphere at all times.”
Missouri House members will recite the Pledge of Allegiance at the start of the Annual Congress on Wednesday, January 5, 2022, in Jefferson, Missouri.
(AP Photo/David A. Lieb, File)
She met swift opposition from Democrats who called it “ridiculous.”
The legislature eventually approved a revised version of Kelly’s proposal. This allows for cardigans as well as jackets, but still must cover the woman’s arms.
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The move was accused of being sexist because the dress code for men remained unchanged. You must comply with the dress code of the assembly hall, which requires you to wear
Some of those critics hypocritically hypocritical Republican colleagues for how they handled health and safety guidelines when it came to wearing masks to prevent the spread of COVID-19. There was Rep. Pete Merides, a Democrat, who denounced that.
“The caucuses, which had been racking their brains over suggestions that masks should be worn during the pandemic to respect the safety of others, will now focus on the details of what women must wear. I spend time on (specifically, how many layers my arms need to be covered in) to honor in this chamber,” Meridez tweeted.
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“You know what it feels like to have a bunch of men in this room looking at your top and trying to decide if it’s appropriate?” State Rep. Ashley Orne (Democrat) said on the State Capitol. added that the motion to renew was “ridiculous.”
Republican Rep. Brenda Shields defended Kelly’s proposal in an effort to clarify the rules already in force, and suggested adjusting the wording to consider cardigans as jackets.
The Missouri State Capitol in the City of Jefferson, The City of Jefferson is located in the heart of Missouri on the Missouri River.
(Education Images/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)
In a Facebook post, Rep. Kelly said, “I have shared that I have received many harassing phone calls and messages regarding this amendment. I already have a dress code and would like to correct the errors and clarify the rules.” It’s funny because I was just doing it.”
She added that the General Secretary of the House “has been demanding to get an amendment for years, so we brought it to the floor.” [this] Fixed by our rules.
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“How is it wrong to encourage professionalism?” Kelly added. “If there is ever a time to honor tradition and act professionally, it is on the floor of the Missouri House of Representatives. I make no apologies for standing up for these things.”
