SWARTHMORE (PA)
Daily Times
October 25, 2018
By Kathleen E. Carey
As a Democrat-funded TV ad released criticized state Sen. Tom McGarrigle, R-26 of Springfield, he is expected to appear today with abuse survivors to continue his support of passing legislation that would allow childhood sexual abuse survivors to pursue criminal and civil justice.
In a 30-second commercial paid for and authorized by the Senate Democratic Campaign Committee, McGarrigle’s picture appears alongside eight state senators under the banner, “GOP Senators Too Cowardly to Vote.”
The ad, called “Window,” refers to the state Senate’s inability to pass SB 261 that would create a two-year window for victims of childhood sexual abuse to file a civil suit against their abuser or institutions that covered it up, like the Catholic Church. It would also enable future victims to sue until they were 50 years old. Current law caps that at the age of 30.
The measure passed the state House of Representatives at the end of September by a 173-21 vote. However, despite support from McGarrigle and other senators, it never got a vote after state Senate President Pro Tempore Joe Scarnati, R-25 of Jefferson County, crafted legislation that would eliminate institutions from being sued in the two-year window.
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