Victims of childhood sexual abuse apparently will see no legislative remedy from the state Capitol this year, barring any new proposal.
In the final hours remaining in the legislative session, the state Senate lacked the votes to act on a measure that would have broadly reformed child sex crime laws, lawmakers and advocates said.
The bill would have eliminated the statute of limitations in criminal cases of child sexual abuse. But the measure stalled after hours of heated debate over a proposal that would have allowed victims only a limited ability to sue predators.
Critics opposed
a new proposal that emerged Wednesday
that would prevent victims from suing institutions, including the Catholic Church. Victims and advocates condemned the measure and House members vowed to reject it.
Lawmakers and victims advocates said there weren't enough votes to move the bill. So barring late action, the measure appears to be stalled until the new legislative session begins in January. Wednesday was the Senate's last scheduled day.
At a press conference in the Capitol late Wednesday night,
Attorney General Josh Shapiro
and Democratic lawmakers chided the Republican-controlled Senate for ignoring victims.
