The Illinois House on Friday rejected a bill that would have blocked public colleges and universities from asking about a prospective student’s criminal history as part of the application.

The so-called “ban-the-box” proposal – a reference to questions that appear on many job and college application forms asking people whether they have or haven’t been convicted of a serious crime – was sponsored by Rep. Mary Flowers, a Chicago Democrat who argued the question prevents many people with criminal histories from turning their lives around.