Cynthia Grau/WJEZ)
By Eric Stock
BLOOMINGTON – State Sen. Jason Barickman, R-Bloomington, said the recent sexual harassment allegations that have embroiled the Illinois Capitol, and cost another Senator his leadership post, will hopefully expose a culture that he said needs to be fixed.
Barickman told WJBC’s Scott Laughlin he expects the inspector general’s office that’s supposed to investigate things like sexual harassment but has been vacant for three years will likely be revived soon.
PODCAST: Listen to Scott’s interview with Barickman on WJBC.
“I think that will change very quickly, I wouldn’t be surprised if it changed as early as next week.
“Even when that happens, this cultural aspect is the key component that needs to be addressed.”
The inspector generals office has been vacant since June 2013, when the first and only inspector general stepped down.
“I was always told you don’t want to be in Springfield at night because that’s when all the trouble starts,” Barickman said, adding that he commutes home to Bloomington nearly every night. “I think there’s a little transparency or sunshine being placed on the actions of the people in our state government.”
Democratic state Sen. Ira Silverstein of Chicago resigned from this post at Majority Caucus Chair on Wednesday. He denied sexually harassing alleged victim Denise Rotheimer in hundreds of unwanted social media messages and phone calls, but apologized if he “made her uncomfortable.”
Eric Stock can be reached at [email protected].
