Child sexual abuse survivors caught in middle of lawmakers' legislative showdown

HARRISBURG, Pa. (KDKA) - Hundreds of alleged sexual abuse survivors trying to get a day in court are caught in the middle of a legislative showdown in Harrisburg. 

Last week, the House passed a measure to suspend the statute of limitation and create a two-year window for people who say they were abused as children to sue their abusers. But Democrats say Republicans plan to kill it in the Senate.

As a survivor of sexual abuse himself, outgoing Pennsylvania House Speaker Mark Rozzi made it his singular mission to get justice for others who were abused as kids. But though the House this week passed a measure to create a window for those alleging abuse to sue, Rozzi, a Democrat, says he's declaring war on the Republican senators who he says are trying to kill it. 

"You better believe this is going to be war," Rozzi said. "We are going after every senator who doesn't support the victims and still wants to support the institutions who have aided and abetted these monsters and senators who still want to protect pedophiles."

The House bill would put the measure on the ballot allowing voters to decide whether to suspend the statute of limitations and give alleged victims a two-year window in which to sue.

But Rozzi and other says the Senate Republican are trying to kill the measure by loading it up with other amendment such as voter ID and deregulation of powers, something Seante Majority Leader Kim Ward disputes.

"No, all that needs to happen is the House needs to pass the bill. If the House would pass the amendments, that amendment — along with Voter ID, which is very important to folks in our caucus — would be on the ballot," Ward said.

Attorney Alan Perer, who represents dozens of alleged victims, says bundling the measure is unconstitutional and can't pass and that Ward has killed similar measures in the past. 

"This is traumatic for these survivors, every couple of years to go through the same thing when they get close to getting a measure of justice and the Senate Republicans kill it," Perer said.

And Rozzi says his committee is sending the Senate bill back, calling for a constitutional question on the two-year window alone. 

"And we're going to ask the Senate to finally do their job and pass this finally for vicitms who have been sexually abused and children who have been raped," Rozzi said.