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	State Senate Pres. Responds to Allegations By Jason Barry KPHO April 14, 2010 http://www.kpho.com/news/23154600/detail.html Robert Burns Accused Of Blocking Bill To Help Sexual Abuse Victims PHOENIX -- A child advocacy group has accused Arizona State Senate President Robert Burns of abusing his power by attempting to block a bill that would help victims of sexual abuse. Joelle Casteix, with the Survivors Network Of Those Abused By Priests, said that Burns has a conflict of interest, since he used to own day care centers in Arizona. "He had a personal conflict of interest with this bill because he owned two day care centers in the 80s and 90s that were the subject of numerous sexual abuse allegations," said Casteix." Under this bill he could be held liable for abuse that occurred while he owned the schools." The bill in question is SB 1292, the Arizona Childhood Sexual Abuse Prevention Act. It would eliminate the time limit for adults who were sexually abused as children to file a civil lawsuit against their perpetrators. According to a newspaper article from the Prescott Courier in 1989, Burns' ethics were questioned for trying to stop legislation that sought tougher regulations for day care centers. At the time, Burns' day cares had been investigated for sexual and physical abuse, however, the case never made it to court and the allegations never substantiated. "I think it's very clear he had a direct financial stake in this bill not passing," Casteix said. "This really isn't about financial liability as much as it is transparency and exposure." CBS-5 News spoke to Burns at the state Capitol Wednesday to get his side of the story. Burns stated there was no conflict, he was simply against the bill because of concerns over rising insurance costs and the possibility that allegations after such a long period of time can be inaccurate. "I think I have some inside knowledge in that regard because we were in business at the time accusations were made against a provider in California," said Burns. "Millions of dollars were spent on both sides of that issue and they were proven innocent." Last month, on a 7-0 vote, SB 1292 passed the Senate Judiciary Committee, however, Burns stopped the bill from moving forward. SB 1292 has since been added on as an amendment to House Bill 2699, which toughens penalties for engaging in prostitution with a minor. Lawmakers are expected to vote on the bill by the end of next week.
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