http://www.watertowndailytimes.com/national/boy-scouts-lobby-in-new-york-other-states-to-stem-the-flow-of-child-abuse-lawsuits-20180509

Excerpts from the article:

The Boy Scouts of America, which acknowledged last year that it has taken a financial hit from settlements in child abuse cases, has lobbied against proposals in multiple states that would expose the organization to more lawsuits, according to victim advocates and proponents of the legislation.

The group retained lobbyists in Georgia and New York, where lawmakers say such action helped stall proposals that included “lookback” windows allowing adults to take legal action over decades-old claims. It has hired lobbyists in Michigan, where similar proposals are being debated. The bills would give adults who were abused as children a second chance to file suit if they missed their first opportunity under state law.

…

In New York, a one-year “lookback” measure known as the Child Victims Act has been debated for years without reaching a vote in the state Senate, advocates said…The lower chamber of the state legislature overwhelmingly approved the measure in a separate vote last week, but Senate leaders gave no indication that they planned to bring the bill to the floor.

The office of Senate Majority Leader John Flanagan, R, did not respond to an inquiry about the likelihood of a vote.

…

In Michigan…the Boy Scouts has supported legislative efforts to narrowly tailor “lookback” periods so they do not have “such an open-ended approach...The state legislature is considering multiple bills related to child sex abuse after University of Michigan doctor Larry Nassar was sentenced to up to 175 years in prison for molesting young gymnasts under the guise of medical treatment.

Victim advocates said open-ended “lookback” provisions are necessary because many people who were abused as children do not come forward until their 30s, which in some states comes after their opportunity to sue has expired.

Additionally, lawsuits alert today’s parents about alleged abusers and the institutions that shelter them, advocates say.

…

In Georgia, the group has retained lobbyists from Dentons, a major firm, since last year. Its four current representatives include two former state lawmakers, one of whom is ex-House majority whip Edward Lindsey…state Rep. Jason Spencer, R, said BSA lobbyists created a legislative “trap” this spring to block his bill creating a one-year “lookback” window.

Even after his measure unanimously passed the House of Representatives and the state Senate approved a weaker version supported by the BSA, Spencer said there was not enough time to reconcile the two proposals before the end of Georgia’s legislative session in March.

“By the end of the session, we were in the red zone,” he said in a phone interview. “The bill got tangled up in the back and forth.”

Spencer said he confronted Lindsey in a meeting about delaying the process. Lindsey did not respond to an interview request.

Why the Boy Scouts Are Lobbying Against Children: https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/why-the-boy-scouts-are-lobbying-against-children_us_5936181ae4b0c670a3ce67d2

Abuse survivors rip Boy Scouts for hiring ex-state senator to lobby against Child Victims Act: http://www.nydailynews.com/news/politics/lovett-boy-scouts-fighting-n-y-s-child-victims-act-article-1.3203068

Boy Scout Files Give Glimpse into 20 Years of Sex Abuse: https://www.nytimes.com/2012/10/19/us/boy-scout-documents-reveal-decades-of-sexual-abuse.html

Statutes of Limitations: Protecting children, not those who rape them: http://stopabusecampaign.org/adverse-childhood-experiences-study/preventing-trauma/statutes-of-limitations/