SPRINGFIELD -- Illinois lawmakers are moving closer to approving legislation letting prostitutes sue their pimps or anyone else who forces them into the sex trade.
The state Senate approved the measure 45 to 9 today. It now goes to the House, which has supported the idea in the past.
Supporters want to help protect young men and women who are lured into prostitution and exploited by others. They hope lawsuits would discourage exploitation and give ex-hookers a way to start over.
But opponents argue the bill is flawed.
They argue the real victims aren't the prostitutes but the spouses of their customers and the people who live in neighborhoods where hookers hang out.
