The Illinois Senate Judiciary Committee overwhelmingly passed a plan to require the Clergy to report any abuse of children (sexual and other types) to the authorities. (Lawyers, doctors, teachers, etc. already have to report these.) The current 10 year 'Statute of limitations' would be abolished. There is one 'loophole' left to be worked out in full Senate debate, which begins today! Similar debate and modifications will be held by the Illinois House.
The 'loophole' defines how a Clergy-person learns of the abuse, such that 'confession' is still protected, but if a child or parent complains to a clergy-person, then all bets are off and it must be reported. After debate in full session of both house, the final law may remove even this 'one' loophole.
Representatives of the Catholic Conference in Illinois - a Church lobbying arm to the Illinois legislature - approves of the new law and commits to abide by it.
If you wish, you can email or write to the Illinois Senate President or Majority Leader, or Speaker of the House and state your concerns with the one remaining loophole. I will shortly edit this post in a few hours to add in the addresses and names for you. Or you can search them by typing in "Illinois" in your Search Bar, and go from there.
As the Apostle Paul stated, Caesar executes justice as the appointed Minister of God ... and Jesus said to render unto Caesar the things that are Caesar's ... Clearly, protecting children from sex crimes, and prosecuting the pedophiles is something that Caesar does that no "thinking Jehovah's Witness should object to.