Sen. Steve Stadelman (D-Rockford) | Photo Courtesy of Steve Stadelman website
Sen. Steve Stadelman (D-Rockford) | Photo Courtesy of Steve Stadelman website
The Illinois state Senate is considering legislation to give sexual assault survivors lifetime protection from their attackers.
Current law requires survivors to appear in court every two years to extend the no-contact orders against their attackers.
Illinois Senator Steve Stadelman expressed his opinion on this proposed change.
"These no-contact orders are based on convictions. Those convictions don’t change over time," Sen. Steve Stadelman (R-Rockford) said in an April 14 tweet. "People should have the right to feel safe in their daily lives without having to endlessly go to court."
Senate Bill 2277 is already making progress toward passing. The Senate Criminal Law Committee unanimously approved the legislation. Stadelman also supported it in committee.
“Survivors of sexual assault are forced to live day in and day out with their trauma,” Stadelman said in a statement. “The least we can do is not make them relive it.”
The city of Rockford developed the proposal in concert with Rockford Sexual Assault Counselling, who were the ones to introduce lifetime protection. These protections are already in place for those who have been stalked in Illinois.
Now that it has cleared the committee, lawmakers will debate the bill on the Senate floor.
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