Illinois K-2 expulsion and suspension reform bill fails to pass

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WAND) — Illinois Democratic bill to change how children in K-2 are punished was killed by the bell, as the proposal failed to pass the House after midnight.

The plan would ban all expulsions from K-2 and require all suspensions over 3 days to have written approval by the superintendent.

On the last day of session, the proposal was in the Senate, which held fierce debate over how school punishment should be reformed in the state.

"If we don't take care of these kids then who's going to take care of them?" state Sen. Mike Simmons (D-Chicago) said. "These young kids [while] growing up they're not going to have their needs met, they're going to continue being isolated and they're going to inflict the same violence upon our societies that we've inflicted on them for generations and generations."

Senate GOP members strongly opposed the legislation. State Sen. Steve McClure (R-Springfield) had a very particular issue with the plan.

An unfortunate incident happened in McClure's district at a Taylorville school. A student sexually assaulted another student on school grounds. Recently, after sometime, the school has allowed the teenager who committed the act to return to the same school as the victim.

McClure filed a bill that would require Illinois schools to expel students for at least a year if they've committed sexual assault on school grounds. However, this legislation was blocked from moving. The Republican said the state is heading the wrong direction when it comes to school punishments.

"It's pretty bad when you're allowed to murder a child or you're allowed to sexually assault a child and you're not suspended a single day or expelled," McClure said.

The bill passed the Senate on a 30-23 vote with some Democrats voting against it or leaving the room as the vote was called. Now, it just needed House approval to pass.

However, it had passed midnight of May 31, which means any plan wanting to pass either chamber needs a two thirds majority. That means a legislation needs 71 votes instead of the usual 60 votes to pass.

This proposal, when called for a vote in the House, failed to pass on a 69-44 vote. Some Democrats voted against it or left the room as the vote was called. It was two votes away from heading to the Governors office.

If lawmakers want to pass the bill in the Summer or later this year, it will still need a two thirds majority vote.