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	Controversial Child Sex Abuse Bill Fails to Advance By Bart Jones Newsday June 24, 2009 http://www.newsday.com/news/local/state/ny-stmark2412910436jun23,0,2431779.story Supporters of a controversial bill to make it easier for alleged child sex abuse victims to sue their abusers thought this was their year to get the legislation passed. Democrats controlled both the State Senate and Assembly for the first time in years, and the bill had already passed the Assembly three sessions in a row. But when the Assembly wrapped up its current session early Tuesday in Albany, the bill - like its sponsor Assemb. Margaret Markey (D- Maspeth) - was nowhere to be seen. The Markey bill would create an "open window" during which the statute of limitations on child sex abuse cases would be dropped. Initially, there was no limit on the alleged victim's age, but Markey amended it to cap it at 53 years or younger. Analysts said a variety of factors contributed to the bill's failure to advance, including what one called an effective lobbying effort by the Catholic Church led by Bishop William Murphy of the Diocese of Rockville Centre, among others. Religious leaders claimed the legislation could "bankrupt" the Church. "I think she walked into both barrels of a well-organized, well-lubricated lobbying campaign by the Catholic Church," said veteran Albany lobbyist Desmond Ryan, executive director of the Association for a Better Long Island. Sean Dolan, a spokesman for the diocese, said Murphy "played an important role" in opposing the bill, writing columns and meeting with and phoning legislators. The New York State Catholic Conference and other bishops also played key roles, Dolan said. Beyond the church campaign, analysts and politicians said Markey compounded her problems by amending the bill to explicitly include public as well as private institutions. That provoked added opposition from school officials and other public entities. A competing bill by Assemb. Vito Lopez (D-Brooklyn) that did not call for dropping the statute of limitations also drained some support from Markey's bill, analysts said. The Assembly also did not take up Lopez's bill. Michael Armstrong, a spokesman for Markey, said she was not in Albany on Monday for "personal reasons." He said Markey's strategy had been a "tandem" approach to get it approved in the Assembly and then move quickly to the Senate. But the standoff in the Senate dashed the plan, he said. The bill may not be completely dead. Armstrong said he expects it to be introduced at a special session later this year, and even some opponents say it could be revived. Contact: bart.jones@newsday.com
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