Drum roll ....
It passed! The bill extending statute of limitations on child sex abuse crimes to the victim's 28th birthday (see whole series of entries here) has passed the House. It already passed the Senate. Now it awaits the signature of the governor. Email the gov at this address (ellen.landino@gov.wa.gov) if you want her to sign the bill.
Passage numbers have been unanimous in both the House and Senate floor votes. It looks like this will finally, finally become a law. The last three years (at least), it has died in committee. Who could imagine that protecting today's kids from pedophiles by giving yesterday's victims a chance to grow up and realize the harm and speak up would be controversial. But it was. And now, it is on to the new chapter of becoming law.
Passage of this bill would not have been possible without the tireless efforts of Don Brockett, former Spokane County prosecutor. He has worked for years on getting this extension. His preference (my preference) was for no statute of limitations at all (like it is in the federal system on child sex abuse crimes, and like it is in the state system for crimes like arson and murder). But this is a start. His website is www.stopmolesters.org.
Don asked me if I wanted to go to the signing ceremony, if there is one. Won't that be a miracle? Not that I get to go, but that there is a signing ceremony. I can hardly wait.
2 comments:
Beth, this is SUCH good news. A start. I am with you though, that this needs to extend to infinity. I know of someone who did not realize that this was actually abuse until he was quite into adulthood. Given that the abuse occurred when he was a teenager, he didn't realize that it was actually abuse until he entered therapy in his thirties. I may just post a link to Don't site on my blog.
That circumstance is very standard, which is why we pushed for a further extension. But this is a start. Thanks, Liz.
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