Bill to criminalize sex between teacher and student in Kentucky a possibility.
That was the line they took in December.
It's now May 2008 and the bill is still in committee.
Dec 23, 2007 - The legislation was proposed by former state Rep. J.R. Gray, a Democrat who left the General Assembly to become a new labor commissioner. Now, State Rep. Kathy Stein, chairwoman of the House Judiciary Committee, is taking responsibility for the legislation.
The proposed the legislation would allow prosecutors to charge teachers with statutory rape if they have consensual sex with 16- or 17-year-old students.
Several states have enacted similar measures over the past six years, including Alaska, Connecticut, Indiana, Kansas, Louisiana, Michigan, Nevada, Oklahoma, Texas and Washington. Lawmakers in New York and South Carolina are considering following suit. The Education Commission of the States said Ohio and Maine have had laws criminalizing such conduct since 1994 and 1995, respectively.Only eight states have set 18 as the age of consent for both men and women, said Jennifer Boyter, senior policy analyst for The Council of State Governments in Lexington. In the vast majority of states, Boyter said, 16 is the legal age of consent.
UPDATE May 2, 2008 - The bill is HB 235. As of this date, it is STILL in committee and hasn't been heard.
