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The latest push to extend New Yorks short statute of limitations on child sex-abuse cases fizzled in Albany at the hands of Senate Republicans last week, when Senate Majority Leader John Flanagan refused to let the Senate vote on a bill that the Assembly overwhelmingly approved and that Gov. Andrew Cuomo supported.

State lawmakers ended their 2017 session on Wednesday with no Senate vote on the Child Victims Act or any alternatives that had been proposed, including one that the New York State Catholic Conference supported. The conference had opposed the bill the Assembly passed, arguing it would open the Catholic Church to lawsuits for abuse claims from decades ago, but it endorsed another pending bill that would have removed entirely the statute of limitations on prosecution.

None of the four Republicans senators representing Orange, Ulster and Sullivan counties would state their positions on the Child Victims Act when asked last week. James Seward and George Amedore, each of whom represents parts of Ulster County, didnt respond at all to the Times Herald-Records question. Spokesmen for John Bonacic and Bill Larkin each emailed statements that took no stance on the bill.

Advocates have pushed for 11 years to extend or eliminate the states statute of limitations on criminal charges and lawsuits involving sexual abuse of children. Under current law, the victims of such acts must seek criminal charges or sue before they turn 23 much too early, advocates say, for many traumatized abuse survivors to come forward. The bill that the Assembly passed would give victims until age 28 to seek prosecution and until age 50 to sue culpable institutions. It also would have given previously time-barred victims one year to bring cases.

Larkins spokesman said last week that Larkin was reviewing the reform proposals and hoped for an agreement before the session ended.

The senator is committed to working with his colleagues to protect children from sexual predators and hold abusers accountable and would like to see the State Legislature reach an agreement on this issue prior to the end of this years legislative session, spokesman Brian Maher said. He didnt respond when asked if Larkin would vote for or against the bill that the Assembly approved in a 139-7 vote on June 7.

Cuomo declared his support for the bill after the Assembly approved it. Advocates and Democrats had implored the Senates Republican leaders to bring the legislation to the floor before the session ended. The Times Herald-Record reported on the bills uncertain status and on a Saugerties man involved with the reform effort on Monday.

Bonacics spokesman, Conor Gillis, sent the Times Herald-Record a statement that touted past legislation but took no position on the Child Victims Act. He said only that Bonacic would review the bill if it came to the floor.

The statement read: The Senate has consistently passed legislation to protect New Yorkers from sexual predators, going as far back as 2006 when the Senate passed Megans Law, legislation ensuring that sexual predators register with the State and provide parents and members of the community with this information. The Senate has passed legislation to toughen criminal penalties on sexual predators, while also passing legislation restricting where sex offenders can go, explicitly barring them from entering school grounds. With that being said, should any version of the Child Victims Act come to the floor, Senator Bonacic will carefully review the details before he votes.

Chris McKenna

Lawmakers replenish campaign cash in Albany

After the conclusion of the 2017 legislative session in Albany on Wednesday, the New York Public Interest Research Group distributed its latest list of campaign fundraisers that state lawmakers held this year in the capital while debating funding and legislation their donors are so keenly interested in.

Here are the events that senators and Assembly members representing Orange, Ulster and Sullivan counties held and the minimum donation to get in the door (some had more than one):

Sen. John Bonacic, R-Mount Hope: $750, Fort Orange Club, Feb. 13

Sen. Bill Larkin, R-Cornwall-on-Hudson: $500, Fort Orange Club, Feb. 13 and June 14

Sen. George Amedore, R-Rotterdam, $500, The University Club, Feb. 28; $250, Angelos 677 Prime, June 7

Sen. James Seward, R-Milford, $800, Fort Orange Club, March 13; $250, The Albany Room, June 13

Assemblyman Karl Brabenec, R-Deerpark, $250, Pinto & Hobbs Tavern, March 20

Assemblyman Kevin Cahill, D-Kingston, $500, Renaissance Hotel, March 21

Assemblywoman Aileen Gunther, D-Forestburgh, $300, The Albany Room, March 28

Assemblyman James Skoufis, D-Woodbury, $250, City Beer Hall, June 14

Chris McKenna

Mass. congressman endorses Ryan in NY-19

Patrick Ryan, one of eight Democrats whove decided to run for Congress against Republican Rep. John Faso in 2018, has racked up his second endorsement despite the congressional race not being until November next year.

Rep. Seth Moulton of Massachusetts announced the endorsement of Ryan and seven other Democratic veterans on Wednesday, saying that the Democratic Party needs a new generation of leadership, and that its time to stop rehashing 2016 and deliver a vision for America that addresses the real challenges facing Americans in all parts of our country.

Ryan, 35, of Brooklyn, grew up in Kingston. Hes a graduate of Kingston High School and the United States Military Academy at West Point. He went on to serve two combat tours in Iraq, rising to the rank of captain. He began two start-up technology businesses and currently works for Dataminr, a New York City start-up company that analyzes data from social media.

Ryan and Moulton, whos in his second term, already shared a connection. Ryan said he began considering a run for Congress through a network of military veterans that included Moulton, a Marine Corps veteran and Democrat who represents Massachusetts sixth congressional district.

Both Moulton and Ryan were also recruited to run for Congress through the Boston-based group New Politics, which works to recruit those with public service backgrounds to run for office.

James Nani

Legislature OKs ward system for school boards

State lawmakers passed a bill last week that would enable school districts to create wards for the election of school board members, an idea that supporters in the Pine Bush School District and in Sullivan County have promoted since 2015 as a way to limit the ability of voting blocs to control boards.

The bill, approved in the last week of the 2017 legislative session, was sponsored by Assemblywoman Aileen Gunther, D-Forestburgh, and Sen. Bill Larkin, R-Cornwall-on-Hudson. It glided through the Assembly in a 140-2 vote on Monday and cleared the Senate in a 62-1 vote the next day.

Adopting a ward system would require a referendum. If approved by voters, a district could be divided into three to nine wards.

The legislation mistakenly required elections for all board seats in the same year. The sponsors, who say they meant to have staggered elections, plan to introduce an amendment to retroactively change the wording. The bill must be sent to Gov. Andrew Cuomo to sign or veto.

Amanda Spadaro and Chris McKenna

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The Fray: Senate Republicans snub child sex-abuse bill as session ends - Times Herald-Record