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Filler-Corn pushes bill to protect employees when speaking out against their company
Del. Eileen Filler-Corn (D) is pushing a bill that would protect an employee’s ability to point out “harassment, retaliation, a wage or hour violation, sexual assault, a fraud (against taxpayers, shareholders, the government, consumers, or other employees), or other conduct that is recognized as against a clear mandate of public policy.”
The bill would prohibit any nondisclosure and nondisparagement provisions in employment contracts or settlement agreements that concern the conduct at the workplace, at work-related events, between employees, or between an employer and an employee, whether on or off the employment premises.
Republican figures are supporting this legislation from Filler-Corn. Gretchen Carlson, a longtime Fox News anchor who now focuses on making workplaces safer pushed the bill to her 114 thousand followers Monday.
“It is all too common to know someone who has experienced discrimination, harassment or other toxicity at work — or to have experienced it ourselves,” they wrote. “More than one-third of American workers — including tens of thousands of Virginians — are subject to nondisclosure agreements (NDAs). While there is a place for confidentiality provisions in the workplace to protect proprietary trade secrets, there is never a good reason for organizations to cover up workplace abuse. Yet this epidemic of silence is pervasive and prevents workers from sharing traumatic events with co-workers, loved ones and sometimes even therapists or clergy members. Often, these NDAs are so strict that workers cannot even disclose the reason they are silent is because they are bound by an NDA. Now, thanks to new state legislation sponsored by Del. Eileen Filler-Corn, D-Fairfax, Virginia has a chance to join other states across the nation that have already moved to protect survivors by giving them the right to speak freely about their workplace experiences. The Silenced No More Act (HB 1895) is a game changer for anyone who simply wants to be able to go to work without fear of retaliation and legal exposure for calling out unacceptable behavior like discrimination.”
Former Del. Jim Shuler (D) endorsed James Harder for the House of Delegates Tuesday. Harder is seeking the Democratic nomination in HD-41. Lily Franklin is also seeking the Democratic nomination.
“I am proud to support James and his campaign for the House of Delegates,” said former Delegate Jim Shuler. “So many of the fights I thought we had won when I was in Richmond are still being fought today – a woman’s right to choose being chief among them. I know James will not waver in his resolve to stand up for our most basic freedoms but also for our district and region.”
Shuler served in the House from 1994 to 2012.
HD-41 is comprised of parts of Montgomery and Roanoke Counties. According to an analysis from VPAP, Glenn Youngkin won this district by 12 points in 2021.
This is an open seat with no incumbent. Chris Obenshain and Lowell Bowman are seeking the Republican nomination.
Reid says Roem should not be at the Capitol during interview with LaRock
WRVA host John Reid said during an interview with Dave LaRock (R) that Democratic Del. Danica Roem does not belong in the Capitol because she is transgender. H/T to Blue Virginia. Roem is the first openly-transgender person to be elected and serve in a state legislature. She was first elected in 2017 and has earned reelection two times since.
Here are the comments made by Reid:
“A responsible person, regardless of their background, has to stand up for objective truth here. That’s what I am doing. I don't care whether you wear a dress, we can discuss how to navigate that in society, but if you're really going to look me in the eye and say, 'I have a penis and testicles, and because I put on makeup and a dress, I am now a woman', you are a liar. It is not correct. I have to throw some cold water and wake everybody up. That’s just not true. Now how do we indulge this in school? that's just not true,” Reid said.
He later continued: “Del. Roem is not a responsible legislator and shouldn't be at the Capitol. You won't say that, I'm going to say that, and that's coming from a gay guy who has watched very closely what is happening here. I don't know why that individual is down there. I know some people think they’re kind of serious, But this betrays the mindset that everyone is worried about with mainstreaming former sexual deviancy into our regular life, and as a gay man that bothers me a lot...I’m not on board with this and I think it’s a huge mistake. I'm not going to be silenced into saying oh well, you're kind of in the same club with me so I'm going to go along with this; this is really nefarious."
LaRock did not push back against Reid’s comments about his House colleague. “We are pretty much in agreement on that,” he said eventually after Reid’s long soliloquy.
