Colorado Senate rejects childhood sex abuse amendment — again. Advocates hope to put it on ballot anyway.

Colorado Senate Republicans have again stopped a proposed constitutional amendment aimed at eventually opening the door to civil indicates brought by casualties of decades-old childhood abuse Every member of the GOP on Thursday voted against Senate Concurrent Resolution If passed it would have put a constitutional amendment to voters asking them to allow future lawmakers to pass laws permitting casualties of childhood sexual abuse to bring forward civil insists against their past abusers and any enabling institutions Its placement on the ballot required two-thirds patronage from both the Senate and the House In the Senate every Democrat plus one Republican would be necessary to meet that -vote threshold It failed Thursday along party lines - This is the second year Republicans have united to stop the amendment from proceeding The proposal would not have set specific parameters for how such civil cases could proceed but was only permission to go to the people and ask them if we can have this debate Sen Dafna Michaelson Jenet a Commerce City Democrat sponsoring the resolution mentioned She spoke of her abuse as a girl in Ohio Sen Jessie Danielson a Wheat Ridge Democrat who sponsored this year s resolution and the one last year noted that the partisan split in the chamber had not changed from last year but she hoped a few new members might vote differently She read testimony from several survivors of childhood sexual abuse who were victimized by teachers and religious figures trusted with their safeguarding about their ongoing trauma and what the chance for legal recourse could mean for their healing If we do not pass this amendment it is impossible to hold these institutions and these vicious predators accountable Danielson explained Senate Minority Leader Paul Lundeen a Monument Republican was the only member of his caucus to speak against the measure from the Senate floor He disclosed the proposal would not tie perpetrators to their crimes but it would have wide ramifications for due process He echoed arguments from last year that warned the proposal would harm institutions in the current era for crimes and cover-ups from decades ago for abuse that s now outside the statute of limitations It upends numerous constitutional and legally settled rights including principles of legal certainty the principle of finality of litigation and other elements of due process Lundeen announced As a matter for my heart this is a very laborious vote As a matter of principle and the rule of law this vote is clear Related Articles New Colorado law aims to find forever homes for dogs and cats used in healthcare research Uber says it may pull out of Colorado if ride-hailing safety bill passes Pope Francis s kindness compassion set the mold for Cardinals to follow Letters An investor paid for a Denver family s foreclosed home Now a judge has ordered him to give it up Prominent Colorado LGBTQ groups hedge on backing for transgender rights bill The proposed amendment arose from a Colorado Supreme Court decision in June that overturned a law creating a three-year window for people to sue over decades-old childhood sexual abuse The law had led to a surge of lawsuits over alleged abuse from decades prior The court ruled that the law violated a state constitutional provision against retrospective ordinance Danielson communicated the Senate that the survivor public still planned to put the matter before voters Advocates had hoped to avoid signature gathering and going door to door selling their trauma by going through a General Assembly referral instead She mentioned polling demonstrated widespread sponsorship for the proposal topping even in the state s reddest districts After the vote Lundeen turned to his caucus and thanked Republican members for taking a hard correct vote Stay up-to-date with Colorado Politics by signing up for our weekly newsletter The Spot