Women Senators in Georgia say they’re being sidelined

By BEN NADLER

ATLANTA (AP) – A bipartisan group of state senators in Georgia is speaking out about actions they say are undermining women in the chamber.

Several senators on Wednesday protested recent changes to Senate rules that weakened sexual harassment investigations and what they say is a troubling pattern of sidelining women with committee assignments.

Democratic state Sen. Elana Parent said that women made up 28 percent of the Senate but held few influential committee seats.

Committee assignments are given out by a committee including Lt. Gov. Geoff Duncan and a small group of GOP leadership.

Republican Sen. Jeff Mullis said the “whining” about committee assignments was partisanship, with Republican leadership giving influential committee roles to Republicans.

There are 13 Democratic women in the Senate and 2 Republican women.

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Key Georgia Senate chairwoman @Renee_Unterman ousted in health committee shake up https://t.co/MDExiYr1as

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