SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WBBM NEWSRADIO) -- Two lawmakers from Springfield want to make attacking a Department of Children and Family Services employee a more serious crime after an investigator was stabbed to death there Tuesday.
Deidre Silas made a visit to a houseful of kids in the rural Sangamon County community of Thayer. A father there, Benjamin Reed, allegedly stabbed her to death and is now jailed.
State Sen. Steve McClure said passing legislation to protect DCFS employees has been tried before and it is a bipartisan effort.
“Now the governor’s finally on board. We’ve got a lot of Democrats and Republicans on board on this bill. I’m optimistic that for Deidre Silas and her family, we can get this bill passed,” he said.
“She has two small children, a husband, a wonderful family,” adding Silas was “simply trying to look out for the safety of kids.”
State Sen. Doris Turner echoed the sentiment. “It allows for a person that causes great bodily harm or a permanent disability or disfigurement to a DCFS employee to be charged with Class I felony," she said referring to the proposed bill.
“Just like (laws addressing) other first responders, it’s not the extent of the harm or injury that allows the aggravated battery charge to be brought, but rather the status of the victim.”
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