Agency bungles ballot referendum

A proposed state constitutional amendment allowing lawsuits for otherwise outdated child sexual abuse claims was not advertised as required, delaying the necessary voter referendum for at least two years, the Wolf administration disclosed Monday.

The Pennsylvania Department of State in a news release called it “simple human error” and apologized, saying the mistake was discovered late last week. As a result, Secretary of State Kathy Boockvar is leaving her job, and the inspector general will be looking into the matter.

“The delay caused by this human error will be heartbreaking for thousands of survivors of childhood sexual assault, advocates and legislators, and I join the Department of State in apologizing to you,” Gov. Tom Wolf said in a statement. “I share your anger and frustration that this happened, and I stand with you in your fight for justice.”

He and other Democrats on Monday suggested lawmakers instead pass the two-year lawsuit window as regular legislation, which would make the proposed constitutional amendment unnecessary.

House Republican spokesman Jason Gottesman said caucus leaders are angry about the mistake, first reported by Spotlight PA.

“I think the people that should be very upset are one, the victims who will not have justice, delayed once again by this administration’s incompetency, and the people of Pennsylvania who can’t trust this administration to perform the basic processes,” Gottesman said.

Constitutional amendments must pass both chambers in two successive two-year sessions before going before voters in a referendum as the final OK.

That had been expected to occur in the May 18 primary.

The proposals also have to be advertised in each two-year session, but that did not happen for the statute-of-limitations amendment during the session that ended Nov. 30.

The Wolf administration vowed Monday to install new controls and tracking to ensure the mistake is not repeated.

Boockvar