Child Victims Act supporters press on after chief Assembly sponsor’s surprising loss in Queens Democratic primary

By Kenneth Lovett
New York Daily News
September 14, 2016

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/politics/child-victims-act-backers-press-sponsor-primary-loss-article-1.2792039

Assemblywoman Margaret Markey (second from l. in gray coat) marches with a banner in support of the Child Victim’s Act.

Assemblywoman Amy Paulin (D-Scarsdale) may receive the torch left in Markey’s absence to become sponsor of the act.

Assemblywoman Linda Rosenthal (D-Manhattan) is also a supporter of the bill, which extends the time a child sex abuse victim has to bring a suit.

The super PAC launched by Gary Greenberg, a victim of child sexual abuse, endorsed nine winning candidates in the Democratic primary race, including all six Senate seats.

ALBANY — Child sex abuse survivors were saddened by the surprising Democratic primary loss of the prime Assembly sponsor of the Child Victims Act, but they say it will not deter their efforts to get the bill passed in 2017.

First elected to the Queens seat in 1998, Assemblywoman Margaret Markey was soundly defeated by Woodside attorney Brian Barnwell in Tuesday's primary contest, which had flown below the radar of most political insiders.

Markey has aggressively pushed the Child Victims Act, which would make it easier for child sex abuse victims to bring cases as adults, for about a decade.

There are dozens of Assembly co-sponsors, but it's unclear who will take the lead in Markey's absence. Democratic Assembly members Amy Paulin, of Westchester, and Linda Rosenthal and Daniel O'Donnell, both of Manhattan, have already been mentioned as possibilities in some circles.

"We'll miss Markey,” said Gary Greenberg, an upstate investor and child sex abuse victim. "She's done a hell of a lot of work for this bill. But that's politics. It's a passing of the torch."

Greenberg, along with other political observers, said Markey's loss had more to do witfh anger over her actions regarding a proposed homeless shelter in the district than anything to do with the Child Victims Act.

While opposing the shelter, Markey angered many residents after she did not show up at a public meeting on the proposal.

Even with Markey's defeat, Greenberg, who this year created a political action committee called Fighting For Children that endorsed candidates in 12 of Tuesday's primary races, said overall he is encouraged by Tuesday's results.

Nine of the 12 candidates his PAC backed won, including all six Senate Democratic contests. The PAC did not get involved in the Markey race, which few expected to be a real contest.

"The key (to getting the Child Victims Act passed) is the Senate," Greenberg said. "If it passes in the Senate, it should pass the Assembly."

All six Senate candidates the PAC supported are Democrats.

Greenberg said he will work this fall to help the Democrats take the majority. He plans to meet with Senate Democratic Campaign Committee Chairman Michael Gianaris of Queens on Thursday.

The Senate Dems have nearly unanimously supported the Child Victims Act, which would do away with the time limit on how long a person abused as a child has to bring a lawsuit. Under current law, someone has until their 23rd birthday.

The Senate Democratic bill would also open a one-year window for victims to bring cases and would also treat public and private institutions the same when it comes to child sex abuse.

Barnwell, who has a Republican opponent in November, said he supports extending the statute of limitations on child sex abuse crimes, but hasn't decided for how long.

He didn't have an opinion on whether a bill should include a look back to bring old cases, but he does support treating public and private institutions the same when it comes to sex abuse cases.

"I'm not trying to cop out, I just haven't had time to form my position (on the bill) 100% yet," he said, though he said judges should have the option to sentence child molesters to life in prison. "The person they abuse, their life is never the same," he said. 

Senate bill sponsor Brad Hoylman praised Markey for having "been a great champion of this crucial legislation and she has helped grow support for it in the Assembly."

"I'm confident that a new leader on the issue in the Assembly will emerge," Hoylman said. "It's a vital issue for so many New Yorkers and has broad support among Assembly members."

Melanie Blow, of the Stop Abuse Campaign, said advocates are determined to get the bill passed even with Markey's loss.

"Assemblywoman Markey was very brave, and took this issue on when no one else would. She was very dedicated to this. She built an infrastructure of support. And it grew, and support for the bill grew. Now there is a lot of support for the bill in both houses, and its future has never been brighter. I see no reason to believe she lost the election based on this issue, and I see no reason to believe that her failure to get re-elected will harm the bill's progress," Blow said.

Dennis Poust, a spokesman for the Catholic Conference who has bitterly battled Markey over the Child Victims Act, had no comment about her loss or the impact it might have on the legislation.

Bill Donohue, president of the Catholic League, celebrated Markey's loss, saying she "spent 18 years of her life trying to stab the Catholic Church."

He also took aim at the Daily News for its campaign in support of the Child Victim Act.

"This is a big win for justice," he said of Markey's defeat.

Markey angered the Church this year when she claimed Brooklyn Bishop Nicholas DiMarzio once offered her a $5,000 bribe to drop her advocacy for the Child Victims Act. DiMarzio vehemently denied the charge

Neither Markey or her spokesman could be reached for comment Wednesday morning.