(The Center Square) – House Republican lawmakers presented their legislative proposals to bring light to human trafficking and the impact it has throughout Illinois.
State Rep. Nicole La Ha, R-Homer Glen, has unveiled a package of bills, including one that would remove the statute of limitations for prosecuting crimes involving human trafficking. Another measure would prohibit a person patronizing a minor into prostitution from claiming they did not know a person was a minor as a defense.
“Exploitation thrives in the shadows, and it’s our jobs as legislators to shine a light,” said La Ha. “Human trafficking happens in all of our communities with Illinois ranking among the top ten nationwide in trafficking cases.”
The measures follow a package of bills recently proposed by the Illinois Senate. La Ha said she is excited to work with lawmakers from the other chamber on this issue.
“We have been talking about this for a couple years now, so I think there is absolutely room for us to come together as a General Assembly and I look forward to that,” said La Ha.
State Rep. Dennis Tipsword, R-Metamore, a Woodford County Sheriff’s Deputy, said it is important to work with law enforcement in the fight to end human trafficking, which for him means holding criminals accountable and protecting some of the state’s youngest and most vulnerable residents.
“The crimes involved with human trafficking cases represent some of the most sensitive and troubling I’ve seen in my career,” said Tipsword.
Tipsword highlighted an incident near his district earlier this year, when the Illinois State Police arrested six men for human trafficking crimes in Bloomington. These crimes included commercial sex acts, solicitation to meet a child and grooming.
The ISP Trafficking Enforcement Bureau conducted seven human trafficking demand suppression operations last year, resulting in over 30 arrests and 90 criminal charges.
