Missouri House leaders have exchanged messages about work on a new intern policy for the chamber.

Missouri House Speaker Todd Richardson (left) and House Minority leader Jake Hummel (right) (photos courtesy; Tim Bommel, Missouri House Communications)

Missouri House Speaker Todd Richardson (left) and House Minority leader Jake Hummel (right) (photos courtesy; Tim Bommel, Missouri House Communications)

“Other than a vague outline of possible policy changes informally distributed a couple of months ago, no action has been taken on this matter,” said House Democrat Leader Jake Hummel in a letter to House Speaker Todd Richardson last week and released to the public Wednesday.

Hummel criticizes the length of time taken in a House Republican-led effort to create a new intern policy after former Speaker John Diehl, Junior, resigned after admitting to exchanging sexually-suggestive texts with an intern. He notes the house formed a committee to investigate creation of a state park in Oregon County two days after that story gained traction, but five months have passed since Diehl’s scandal.

Richardson issued a statement of his own, saying a task force he appointed has, “worked diligently with House attorneys and consulted with officials from several universities,” toward a “comprehensive intern policy.”

He says that work, which extends to revisions of the sexual harassment policy for all House members and staff, is in its, “final stages.”

“As I’m sure Rep. Hummel is aware,” said Richards, the proposal will next go to a House committee where it will be the subject of public hearings.

The statement does not give a timeline for hearings and none have been scheduled.