New MO Rule: Female Lawmakers May Not Bare Arms

The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports:

Democrats on Wednesday slammed a Republican-backed change to the Missouri House dress code for women legislators. Rep. Ann Kelley, R-Lamar (photo), proposed explicitly requiring women legislators to wear jackets on the House floor, saying “it is essential to always maintain a formal and professional atmosphere.”

Lawmakers debate changes to House rules at the beginning of the General Assembly, every two years. Previous rules stated “dresses or skirts or slacks worn with a blazer or sweater and appropriate dress shoes or boots” were allowed.

“I’ve seen a lot of lack of decorum in this room in my two years here and not once has that lack of decorum spurred from someone’s blazer or lack thereof,” said Rep. Ashley Aune, D-Kansas City.

Read the full article. Rep. Ann Kelley last appeared on JMG in September 2021 when she helped ban an LGBTQ history exhibit from the state Capitol.

Yep, the caucus that lost their minds over the suggestion that they should wear masks during a pandemic to respect the safety of others is now spending its time focusing on the fine details of what women have to wear (specifically how to cover their arms) to show respect here.

— Rep. Peter Merideth (@PeterforMO) January 11, 2023

Dress code for women legislators debated in Missouri House https://t.co/Y3QgkguYUi

— St. Louis Post-Dispatch (@stltoday) January 11, 2023

Missouri reps take away a woman’s right to bare arms. https://t.co/0UQxcVkR1z

— Helen Kennedy ? (@HelenKennedy) January 11, 2023

In Missouri – no joke – the GOP-dominated state legislature wants to ban the right to bare arms.

No. Not bear arms. Bare arms.

They want a dress code that would ban female legislators from wearing clothes that reveal their arms. ??https://t.co/bRBOWzNVOd

— Nick Knudsen ?? (@NickKnudsenUS) January 12, 2023