:: Colorado bishops express support for HB 1088 

Colorado's Catholic bishops expressed their support on March 3 for House Bill 1088 as currently amended.  But two related pieces of state legislation -- HB 1090 and SB 143 -- remain under review and discussion.

Archbishop Charles Chaput, O.F.M. Cap., of Denver, Bishop Arthur Tafoya of Pueblo, and Bishop Michael Sheridan of Colorado Springs, endorsed a revised House Bill 1088, sponsored by Representative Rosemary Marshall and Senator Paula Sandoval.

House Bill 1088, as amended, would eliminate the criminal statute of limitations for incidents of sexual abuse against a minor occurring after July 1, 2006. HB 1088 now covers all perpetrators equally and is not retroactive.  Civil statutes of limitation would remain in place.

"We're grateful to Representative Marshall and Senator Sandoval for listening to the concerns of the community, and revising HB 1088 to make it viable," said Timothy Dore, executive director of the Colorado Catholic Conference.  Dore said the bishops continue to support statutes of limitations as important to the justice system, but as amended, the Marshall-Sandoval bill is acceptable public policy. The Conference is the public-action arm of the Colorado Catholic community.

Two related bills currently facing the Assembly -- House Bill 1090 and Senate Bill 143 -- remain flawed, said Dore. 

"SB 143 is bad law and bad public policy; it was heavily influenced by plaintiffs’ attorneys seeking to retroactively change the law to gain advantage in lawsuits they already filed.  Its core concept is so deeply flawed that it probably can’t be fixed to qualify as useful to the common good," said Dore.  In contrast, "HB 1090, despite its own unique problems, has more promise, and we look forward to working with legislators to amend it into good public policy."

Colorado's Catholic bishops have previously stressed that, on a matter as grave as the sexual abuse of minors, "the same civil and criminal penalties, financial damages, time frames for litigation and statutes of limitations should apply against both public and private institutions and their agents. That's fair, that's just, and it serves the ultimate safety of all our young people."