Members of Indiana’s state legislative ethics committees met as this year’s session began to, as they described it, “get up to speed” on the development of a sexual harassment policy for the General Assembly.

In the House, four of the panel’s six members are new to the committee. And new chairwoman Rep. Sharon Negele (R-Attica) says its first meeting focused on getting members educated on the issue.

“So that we could ask all of those uncomfortable questions and make sure that everybody in our committee was fluent on the subject,” Negele says.

Rep. Terri Austin (D-Anderson) is also new to the committee. She says the initial meeting gave members a chance to lay out issues they feel need to be addressed.

“I hope that we’ll continue to be substantive,” Austin says. “That’s the word for me – comprehensive and substantive.”

The initial Ethics Committee meeting was private. The next meeting – likely soon – will be a public hearing.