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One Year After #MeToo Rippled Throughout The Illinois Capitol - What's Different?

Rachel Otwell / NPR Illinois

It's been one year since the #MeToo movement led to a letter about sexual harassment and misogyny within state government being circulated and signed by about 200 people who work within it. Like many public sectors, this was one with problems that had yet to be adequately reckoned with.

Over the past year, high ranking staff and legislators have resigned or been fired in light of allegations about misconduct. The state legislature's internal investigating position that had gone two years without being filled was re-appointed. 

In an NPR Illinois series over the course of a week, we spoke with people in government about these developments, as well as human trafficking and intersectionality; the push for gender parity in politics; what the average person can do to address issues brought up by the movement. Daisy Contreras interviewed Rachel Otwell who produced the series about her findings.

You can find the interviews included in the series below. 

Daisy reported on statehouse issues for our Illinois Issues project. She's a Public Affairs Reporting program graduate from the University of Illinois Springfield. She also graduated from the Illinois Institute of Technology, and has an associates degrees from Truman College. Daisy is from Chicago where she attended Lane Tech High School.
Rachel Otwell of the Illinois Times is a former NPR Illinois reporter.
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