Senate Majority Leader John Flanagan doesn’t give his stance on N.Y. kid-rape law, but says different proposals being reviewed

By Glenn Blain, Stephen Rex Brown
New York Daily News
May 10, 2016

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/politics/top-n-y-senator-proposed-kid-rape-law-article-1.2632314

Senate Majority Leader John Flanagan finally spoke about New York's statute of limitations on child sex abuse, but had little to say.

Attorney General Eric Schneiderman is hoping Albany OKs statute of limitations reform before the legislative session ends June 16.

A rep for Gov. Cuomo said his office received more than 140 calls Tuesday about the issue.

One of Albany's most powerful lawmakers has broken his silence on the effort to reform New York’s statute of limitations on child sex abuse — by saying next to nothing.

State Senate Majority Leader John Flanagan wouldn’t provide a clear answer as to where he stands on the issue — or say whether there would be action on the related bills before the legislative session expires next month.

In the do-nothing state capital, that counts as progress.

Pressed by the Daily News on Tuesday, Flanagan suggested different proposals were under consideration.

“There’s already been movement because there’s plenty of discussion on the issue,” Flanagan said.

The Long Island Republican indicated he was examining several bills, including one proposed by Assemblywoman Margaret Markey (D-Queens). “There is more than just the Markey bill. There are other bills out there. They are all going to be subject to discussion. There is no resolution, plain and simple,” Flanagan told The News.

Markey’s bill would end the statute of limitations for civil lawsuits involving cases of child sexual abuse and allow a one-year window for victims whose cases are currently time-barred to sue. Another bill would extend the time in which victims can sue until they turn 28. A third would eliminate both the civil and criminal statute of limitations.

Under current state law, victims of child sex abuse cannot pursue civil or criminal charges beyond their 23rd birthday. There is no statute of limitations for first-degree rape.

In the midst of a lobbying effort in Albany last week, three sex abuse survivors came to Senate Deputy Majority Leader John DeFrancisco’s office to talk with him about the issue. He refused to meet with them because they didn’t have an appointment. Instead, he walked into a nearby conference room for a pizza party with members of the Syracuse University women’s basketball team.

DeFrancisco (R-Syracuse) has said he outright opposes reforming the statute.

State Attorney General Eric Schneiderman, meanwhile, said Tuesday he was hopeful that the statute of limitations reform will get accomplished before the legislative session ends June 16.

“There seems to be a lot more momentum for it than there was when I sought to move the bill out of the Codes Committee my last term in the state Senate,” said Schneiderman, who left the Senate in 2010. “It seems as though there’s a lot more support for it now. So I am optimistic that something can be worked out.”

The heartening news for advocates came the same day The News’ published on its front page the office numbers of Gov. Cuomo, Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie (D-Bronx) and Flanagan, urging New Yorkers to demand reform on the statute of limitations.

Cuomo couldn’t be reached on Tuesday, but his office referred The News to previous statements he made. He has said those who are guilty of sex abuse should be held accountable. He has not said whether he would sign any of the reform bills. A Cuomo rep said his office received more than 140 calls Tuesday about the issue.

A spokesman for Heastie, who has been noncommittal regarding whether he’ll allow a vote in his chamber, minimized the number of calls his office received.

“Lobbyists and others often encourage constituents to call on their issue, so the volume of calls isn’t appreciably different. As we have said, we will discuss the issue with our members,” Heastie spokesman Michael Whyland said.

Flanagan spokesman Scott Reif said his office received at least 200 calls.

The News has covered efforts to reform the statute of limitations since March, when Long Island foster father Cesar Gonzales-Mugaburu was charged with abusing seven boys under his care. Authorities said they would have brought charges related to additional victims were it not for the statute of limitations.

Advocates said they were planning new efforts to keep their campaign at the forefront of legislators’ minds. “Tell Albany that perpetrators need to be exposed to protect children, and older victims of childhood sexual abuse deserve justice,” Markey wrote to supporters.