A Kansas state senator’s dress code for women who appear before senate committees has gotten him into hot water, reports WPEC.The senator’s rules prohibit women testifying on bills from wearing low-cut necklines and miniskirts. Sen. Mitch Holmes is a 53-year-old Republican from St. John. He is chairman of the Kansas Senate Ethics and Elections Committee. His 11-point code of conduct does not include any restrictions on men. Holmes said men need no instruction on how to look professional.
The guidelines don't detail a minimum skirt length or a permissible neckline for blouses. “It's one of those things that's hard to define,” Holmes said. But he said women should avoid “trying to distract or bring eyes to [themselves].”
The dress code has drawn ire from female lawmakers in Topeka. “Who's going to define low-cut?” said Sen. Vicki Schmidt, a Topeka Republican. She added, “Does it apply to senators?”