(CNN) --
Missouri House lawmakers this week adopted a stricter dress code for women as part of a new package of rules, now requiring them to cover their shoulders by wearing a jacket, cardigan or a knitted blazer.
The measure, which was proposed by Republican state Rep. Ann Kelley, sparked outrage from some Democrats who said the change was sexist because it did not alter the dress code for men.
Men in the Missouri House of Representatives are required to wear a jacket, shirt, and tie.
The previous dress code for women required "dresses or skirts or dress pants worn with a coat or sweater and appropriate dress shoes or boots."
Kelley, speaking on the House floor, said she felt compelled to offer the change that "amends some of the language ... reflecting the language in the gentlemen's dress code."
"Men have to wear a jacket, shirt and tie, correct? And if they walked in here without a tie, they'd be thrown out in a heartbeat. If they walked in without a jacket, they'd be thrown out in a heartbeat. So we're very interested in being equal," Kelley said. on Wednesday during the debate in plenary.
Women hold less than a third of the seats in the Missouri House, made up of 116 men and 43 women, according to the state House website.
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The dress code amendment passed on a voice vote and the rules package was later approved by the GOP-controlled legislature in a vote of 105-51, but not without push and debate from the Democrats in the Camera.
"Do you know what it's like to have a group of men in this room looking at your top trying to determine if it's appropriate or not?"
proclaimed Democratic state representative Ashley Aune from the floor.
The Republicans changed their amendment to include cardigans after Democratic state Rep. Raychel Proudie criticized the impact mandatory jackets could have on pregnant women.
Democratic state representative Peter Merideth refused to vote on the amendment, telling his colleagues on the floor: "I don't think I'm qualified to say what's appropriate or not for women and I think it's a really dangerous path for all of us." .
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"The last two years, when we talked about wearing masks in the event of a pandemic to protect each other, they had a nervous breakdown. How dare the government tell you what to wear on your face? Well, I know that some Governments require women to wear things over their faces, but here, oh, it's okay because we're just talking about how many layers they have to wear over their shoulders," Merideth added.
In the United States Congress, until 2017, journalists and legislators were required to wear sleeved dresses and blouses if they wanted to enter the House of Representatives.
A group of bipartisan female lawmakers protested their "bare-armed right," prompting then-Speaker Paul Ryan's office to admit the dress code "could do with a little modernization."
Subsequently, the US Senate also modified its rules, according to The New York Times.
Aune told CNN on Friday afternoon that the change signals that Republicans in the state are not focused on "important issues."
"In 2019, House Republicans passed the abortion ban that went into effect this summer after the Dobbs decision fell, completely restricting a woman's right to choose in this state, and on the first day in our legislature. are tightening control over women," he said on "CNN Newsroom."
"It's crazy to me. I think it sends a message that the Missouri Republican Party doesn't have your best interest in mind and (isn't) focused on the important issues."
House of RepresentativesMissouri
