Brown Vetoes Sex Abuse Bill

By The News 10

October 12, 2013

http://www.news10.net/news/article/260366/2/Brown-vetoes-sex-abuse-bill


SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - California's governor has vetoed a bill that would have allowed some sex abuse victims who are now barred by the statute of limitations to file lawsuits against private institutions who employed their abuser.

Gov. Jerry Brown said he vetoed the bill because it unfairly expanded on a similar measure passed in 2002 amid the Catholic Church sex-abuse scandal.

The current bill from Sen. Jim Beall, D-San Jose would have lifted the statute of limitations for a group of alleged victims who were 26 and older and missed the previous window to file lawsuits because of time and age restrictions.

Catholic Church leaders and representatives of other organizations in opposition said the proposal to allow claims is unfair because it does not allow those accusers to sue public institutions. Brown agreed.

"We are grateful that Gov. Brown chose to veto SB 131. It was unfair to the vast majority of victims and unfair to all private and non-profit organizations," President of the California Catholic Conference Rev. Gerald Wilkerson said in a statement.