The Illinois Senate voted unanimously to upgrade the penalties for child endangerment Wednesday, feeling the pressure from prosecutors who say current laws have restricted prosecution for years.

SB 1428, sponsored by Sen. Dave Luechtefeld, R-Okawville, would increase the penalty for a first child endangerment offense from a Class A misdemeanor to a Class 4 felony, punishable by 1 to 3 years in prison. A subsequent offense would remain a Class 3 felony, but the offense would be punishable by up to 10 years in prison.

Luechtefeld says the bill addresses the inadequacies in current laws and arms prosecutors with a sufficient amount of firepower in child endangerment cases. The bill is supported by such organizations as the Illinois Association of State’s Attorneys and the Illinois Association of Chiefs of Police.

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Jackson County State’s Attorney Mike Wepseic, a proponent of the legislation, cites several area child endangerment cases, including the 1994 Oak Street fire, which point to flaws in current law. The caretaker responsible for endangering eight children who perished in a fire on Oak Street in Carbondale served one year in prison. Wepseic called the prosecution of the case frustrating and said it necessitates an immediate change in the law’s language.