House Passes Bill to Give Sex-abuse Victims More Time to Seek Justice | KUER

This year, with House Bill 279, Ivory wants to make more victims eligible to bring claims by providing a window of 35 years of the victim’s 18th birthday.

Five lawmakers voted against the bill, including republican Representative Fred Cox, who worried he would be voting to pass a retroactive or ex post facto law, which is unconstitutional.

“I just don’t understand why we can do this,” Cox says.  “Whether it’s a good idea or not.”

Ivory disagreed, however. He argued his bill does not criminalize acts that were legal when committed, as sex abuse was already a crime.

House Passes Bill to Give Sex-abuse Victims More Time to Seek Justice | KUER