JOSH RANNEY
Special to The Leader
It’s budget season for the New York State Legislature, and one particular item is being left out of the latest cut of the state budget: The Child Victims Act (CVA), which would extend the statute of limitations for those charged with child molestation.
The NYS Senate Democrats promoted The Child Victims Act. They hoped Governor Andrew Cuomo including it in his budget would represent the progress in activism against sexual assault and provide momentum to the cause of sexual assault survivors.
Melanie Blow, a sexual assault survivor and chief operations officer of the Stop Abuse Campaign, told the New York Daily News, “It’s really upsetting; it’s really disappointing, but we’re not giving up either. We have come so far.”
The Child Victims Act would implement a one-year window to try cases of sexual assault that would have previously fallen out of the timeframe of legal statute of limitations.
The New York Daily News also reported that Senate Republicans submitted a proposal at the 11th hour of budget talks that supported the one-year window against individuals charged, but not against the places where they worked or were associated.
The proposal was supported by institutions like the Catholic Church, Orthodox Jewish community and Boy Scouts of America, according to the News.
This would mean that in situations where allegations of sexual assault come out after the death of the accused, the institution they were associated with cannot be held responsible for reparations.
The Child Victims Act was a piece of legislation that was essentially supported and not supported on party lines, with Senate Republicans being the opposition keeping it out of the state budget.
Republicans hold the majority in the Senate by three seats, with a majority of 32-29. Democrats and other advocates have previously said if the CVA was to be kept out of the budget, they will turn their focus to two special elections in the Senate to be held later in April.
The controversy surrounding sexual assault, and the rights of the accused versus the accusers in the New York State legislature, comes on the heels of movements like #MeToo, #TimesUp and “It’s On Us” that have gripped national headlines for over a year.
The CVA debate has also occurred amidst the Catholic Diocese of Buffalo releasing a list of 42 priests who have been accused of sexual abuse.
There will be another opportunity to get the Child Victims Act passed before June, when the legislature adjourns for the summer. By which time, Senate Democrats could potentially narrow the Republican majority to one seat.