MI: Michigan Senate passes sexual assault reform six years after Nassar conviction

Source: bridgemi.com 5/4/23 Michigan Senate votes almost unanimously to pass the eight-bill package Thursday The bills were first introduced as a reaction to the 2018 Larry Nassar scandal Legislation would create a felony for those who sexually abuse their patients and lie to them about it LANSING — A bipartisan legislative package to strengthen penalties for sexual assaults and protect survivors cleared the Michigan Senate almost unanimously Thursday. The legislation will now head to the House.   The package was first introduced in 2018 following the conviction of Larry Nassar, a…

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PA: Senate positions Megan’s Law fix for vote

[altoonamirror.com] HARRISBURG — A bill seeking to deliver a legislative fix to Megan’s Law for sexual assault offenders was positioned for a Senate floor vote after a key senator gave a green light Monday. Sen. Stewart Greenleaf, R-Montgomery, repeated his strong objections to the House-passed legislation, House Bill 1952, at the start of a two-hour hearing Monday morning on the Judiciary Committee, which Greenleaf chairs. Following the hearing, Greenleaf voted with colleagues to approve the bill, which addresses concerns the Pennsylvania Supreme Court raised about Pennsylvania’s sex offender registry. The…

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What Rape Reform Needs: More Convictions, Less Punishment [opinion]

[thecrimereport.org] In what is being called the “Post-Weinstein era,” victims of sexual assault and harassment are finally being believed. This no doubt is overdue, but in the context of rape, believing the victim will not be enough. Three reforms are essential to how we convict and punish rapists. First, the way states currently define the crime of rape does not target the conduct of unwanted sex. In the United States, rape was initially defined by unwanted sex accompanied by an element of force. The proof of force was and continues…

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