Springfield, IL (CAPITOL CITY NOW) – A local lawmaker is making another try on his bill to keep young child molesters away from their victims at school. The bill, sponsored by State Sen. Steve McClure (R-Springfield), did not get a vote last year. McClure says children who sexually abuse other children should be expelled.

“We keep hearing shocking reports from across the state about incidents where students have been sexually assaulted at schools, and some schools appear to be sweeping these incidents under the rug,” said McClure. “Here’s what can’t be swept under the rug: the real pain caused by sexual violence and the real danger that a perpetrator of that kind of violence poses to victims, other students, and staff. the survivors of such violence deserve to go to school without fear of running into their rapists.”

A McClure constituent, Ashley Peden (pictured, left), is suing Taylorville schools over this. The mother says the district simply put the offender on a different school bus – with even younger children. Noting her appearance in the Blue Room is a repeat, Peden said, “In the past year, how many other ‘safety plans’ have failed other children? How many other parents have had to choose between their child s education and their child’s physical safety? SB 2991 isn’t just about changing a line of text in our laws. It’s about common sense. It’s a declaration that we will no longer prioritize the rights of a known offender over the physical and emotional security of the student body.”

McClure says under current law, a student carrying brass knuckles at school now faces a harsher punishment than does a student rapist.