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Coverage from across Michigan and the state Capitol with the Michigan Public Radio Network and Interlochen Public Radio.

Michigan lawmakers making progress on human trafficking bills

Teresa Flores speaks at a human trafficking news conference at the state Capitol.
Steve Carmody
/
Michigan Radio
Teresa Flores speaks at a human trafficking news conference at the state Capitol.

State lawmakers are making their way through more than a dozen bills targeting human trafficking this week.

The bills would provide a safe harbor for victims, allow victims to sue their abusers, and eliminate the statute of limitations on trafficking offenses.

Teresa Flores speaks at a human trafficking news conference at the state Capitol.
Credit Steve Carmody / Michigan Radio
/
Michigan Radio
Teresa Flores speaks at a human trafficking news conference at the state Capitol.

“If Michigan can pass these 19 bills, I believe they will be the frontrunner of every state in the U.S. in this,” says Teresa Flores, a former victim of human trafficking. “And what better way to say we care about our kids and our citizens by having the toughest laws in the (United States).”

One the senators sponsoring the bills says she's optimistic the legislation will pass by the end of the year. 

Copyright 2021 Michigan Radio. To see more, visit Michigan Radio.

Steve Carmody has been a reporter for Michigan Radio since 2005. Steve previously worked at public radio and television stations in Florida, Oklahoma and Kentucky, and also has extensive experience in commercial broadcasting. During his two and a half decades in broadcasting, Steve has won numerous awards, including accolades from the Associated Press and Radio and Television News Directors Association. Away from the broadcast booth, Steve is an avid reader and movie fanatic. Q&A