Child Sexual Abuse Accountability Amendment fails in Colorado Senate

Colorado Senate Republicans have once again blocked a proposed constitutional amendment that aimed to allow victims of childhood abuse to bring civil claims against their abusers from decades ago.

All GOP members voted against Senate Concurrent Resolution 2 on Thursday. The resolution sought to ask voters to permit future legislation that would enable victims of childhood sexual abuse to seek civil claims against their past abusers and institutions that enabled the abuse.

The resolution required two-thirds support from both the Senate and the House to be placed on the ballot. It failed to pass in the Senate on Thursday with a vote of 23-12 along party lines.

This marks the second consecutive year that Republicans have come together to prevent the amendment from progressing.

The proposed amendment did not establish specific guidelines for how such civil cases would be handled but was intended to initiate a discussion on the matter, according to Sen. Dafna Michaelson Jenet, a Democrat from Commerce City who sponsored the resolution.

Sen. Jessie Danielson, a Democrat from Wheat Ridge and sponsor of the resolution, read testimonies from survivors of childhood sexual abuse, emphasizing the ongoing trauma faced by victims and the importance of legal recourse for their healing process.

Senate Minority Leader Paul Lundeen, the only Republican to speak against the resolution, raised concerns about potential implications on due process rights and legal certainty.

The proposed amendment stemmed from a Colorado Supreme Court decision in June 2023 that overturned a 2021 law allowing lawsuits for childhood sexual abuse from decades past. The court ruled that the law violated a state constitutional provision against retrospective legislation.

Despite the setback, advocates for the survivor community plan to continue pushing for the amendment to be put before voters, citing widespread support for the proposal.

After the vote, Lundeen thanked his caucus for their stance on the matter, emphasizing the importance of upholding the rule of law.