CALIFORNIA
U-T San Diego
By PAUL ELIAS, Associated Press
SAN FRANCISCO — Gov. Jerry Brown vetoed a bill Saturday that would have allowed some sex abuse victims who are now barred by the statute of limitations to file lawsuits against private institutions that employed their abusers.
Brown said he vetoed Senate Bill 131 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 are 26 or older and missed the previous window to file lawsuits because of time and age restrictions.
“It was unfair to the vast majority of victims and unfair to all private and nonprofit organizations,” said the Rev. Gerald Wilkerson, president of the conference. He said the church has paid $1.2 billion to settle more than 1,000 cases.
The National Center for Victims of Crime, which sponsored the bill, and other supporters say victims might take years to acknowledge they were molested.
The Consumer Attorneys of California organization said it was “disappointed” with the veto.
“This measure was narrowly tailored and would have greatly helped victims of childhood sexual abuse who need and deserve to have their day in court,” said the group’s president, Brian Kabateck.
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