Democrat Tracy Freese Is Running Against Sen. Bill Dix (R)

Iowa Senate Majority Leader Bill Dix (R-Shell Rock, IA, Dist. 25) continues to deny that he fired Kirsten Anderson, former communications director for the Republican caucus, in retaliation for her complaints about a toxic workplace due to sexual harassment. Yet a jury found her claims legitimate, since she had good work evaluations prior to her complaint and Dix fired her hours after her complaint. Anderson and her attorneys received a settlement of $1.75 million, which Iowa taxpayers paid, despite the fact that Republican legislators and staff were responsible for Anderson's firing and the sexual harassment.

Dix continues to defame Anderson by claiming that he fired her for incompetence. He also is stonewalling about Jim Friedrich, the staff member at the center of the sexual harassment trial, and refused to answer reporters' questions about why Friedrich didn't resign sooner and why Dix didn't take action against him sooner. Dix is stonewalling on the contents of a report concerning an investigation into sexual harassment by legislators and staff. Dix said there is no written report. Another Republican, Secretary of the Senate Charles Smithson, whose staff conducted the investigation, said there is a written report.

Seemingly as a joke, the Republicans want to hire a human resources specialist who reports to the Senate majority leader, who is Sen. Bill Dix. But they're serious.

Instead, Dix wants to hire a consultant to advise him before hiring a human resources specialist. House Speaker Linda Upmeyer (R-Clear Lake) plans to proceed with hiring a human resources specialist. Randy Feenstra (R-Hull), an assistant majority leader, wants to know why he's learning about the Republicans' plans to address sexual harassment through the news media instead of from his Republican colleagues. His emailed complaint of being "kept in the dark" was leaked to the news media. According to Kathy Obradovich of the Des Moines Register, Iowa's Senate Republicans have made it clear they're not leaving the decision up to Dix.

Grundy County Democrat Tracy Freese, wants to put an end to this nonsense. She's running against Bill Dix. She says it's not just the sexual harassment settlement; it's Sen. Dix's poor handling of the situation. She also doesn't think that denying Iowans health care and restricting public bargaining is "freedom."

If you're as tired of sexual harassment as I am and further infuriated by Bill Dix's stonewalling about his motives for firing Anderson, there's a remedy. Send money and campaign for

Tracy Freese for Senate

P.O. Box 361

Stout, IA 50673

By the way, Kirsten Anderson and her husband are no longer Republicans. They're Democrats.

That doesn't mean that Democrats don't sexually harass women. There's Bill Clinton. I was particularly appalled by his sexual assault of Kathleen Willey just after her husband died. There's Anthony Wiener. And now, tragically, there's Sen. Al Franken (D-MN). I am just sick with disappointment. I loved his recent book, "Giant of the Senate."

But there's perhaps a meaningful difference. Clinton and Wiener stonewalled, but they don't brag about sexual harassment like Donald Trump bragged about sexual assault on the Hollywood Access tape.

At this point in women's rebellion against sexual harassment (#MeToo), the Republican Party needs Alabaman "Judge" Roy Moore, Republican candidate for the U.S. Senate, like it needs a hole in the head. More women are coming out of the woodwork to say he sexually assaulted them when they were teenagers. Roy Moore was banned from an Alabama mall for bothering young girls. Yet Alabama Republicans may yet elect him to the U.S. Senate because fundamentalist patriarchs like Duck Dynasty's bearded kind find girls more biddable than women. Girls need to be "saved from sin," and who better to do it than fundamentalist patriarchs.