Nixon backs kid-vics law
ALBANY — Gubernatorial wannabe Cynthia Nixon is backing legislation that would make it easier for victims of child sex abuse to seek justice as adults.
“I support the Child Victims Act,” Nixon (right) told the Daily News. “It’s an important piece of legislation that will help victims of childhood abuse find the justice they’ve been waiting for and deserve.”
Like many survivors and advocates, Nixon blasted state Senate Republicans for refusing to bring the measure to the floor for a vote.
“The Senate Republicans who have been blocking this important measure for years have effectively been shielding sexual predators from accountability,” Nixon said.
Last week Nixon announced she was mounting a Democratic primary challenge to Gov. Cuomo.
The “Sex and the City” actress’ campaign spokeswoman said the Child Victims Act might have already passed if Cuomo had done more in recent years to unify the fractured Senate Democrats.
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“If Andrew Cuomo hadn’t cut a backroom deal that put Republicans in power, the Child Victims Act would have passed years ago,” the spokeswoman said.
But some advocates for the measure defended Cuomo, noting that it languished even when in 2009 and 2010 the Democrats under Gov. David Paterson also controlled both houses of the Legislature.
Gov. Cuomo “stands with survivors and advocates in this fight,” said advocate Marci Hamilton. “At such a critical moment in negotiations, I find it sad that anyone would take advantage...(for) their own political gain.”
In January, the governor for the first time included a version in his state budget proposal. The Assembly Democrats included a different version in their recommended spending plan.
Senate Republicans left the door open for a deal this year in their budget plan by expressing support for “amendments to both the civil and criminal statutes of limitations to further protect children from sexual predators.”
Survivors are hoping the Child Victims Act will be part of the final state budget due by April 1.
The main roadblock is a provision that would create a one-year window to revive old child sex abuse cases time-barred under current law.
The Senate Republicans and groups like the Catholic Church, Orthodox Jewish community and Boy Scouts of America oppose the lookback window.
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