House of Representatives passed major changes to sexual abuse laws in marathon session
Lansing – The Michigan House of Representatives approved three bills Thursday that would extend the time limit for trials in sex crimes and remove government immunity for schools in cases of sexual abuse or assault.
The three bills passed largely along party lines during Parliament’s marathon 19-hour overnight session. They are part of a larger legislative effort to address late disclosure of sexual assault or abuse cases that would normally be barred from civil and criminal prosecution due to strict statutes of limitations.
“These bills are a great first step, but survivors should not have to hire a lobbyist to gain access to the justice system,” the state said Member of Parliament Julie Brixiethe Democrat from Meridian Township who helped push the legislative package.
“Only when we finally hold paedophiles and serial offenders and the institutions that protect them accountable can we expect a real decline in child abuse. The entire legislative package must be passed to open the doors of our justice system to all victims of child abuse.”
Under this law, public universities, colleges, or schools, or their employees, are denied immunity from prosecution for criminal sexual offenses if the institution “knew or should have known” that the offender had previously committed a similar offense and the institution failed to respond appropriately.
The law also extends the deadline for filing a criminal complaint to 15 years after the alleged crime was committed or until the victim’s 42nd birthday. The previous deadline, which was extended in 2018, was the victim’s 28th birthday. The disclosure deadline changes only apply to crimes committed after the law came into force.
Proponents of extending the statute of limitations argue that the law should be more generous when it comes to sexual assaults, especially assaults on minors, because these crimes often go unreported or go unreported for years due to repressed memories or fear of not being believed.
The bill passed Thursday does not include some of the key bills included in the original “justice for survivors” package last year. Notably missing is a bill that would create a two-year “revival window” to retroactively allow any victim of sexual violence to file a civil lawsuit, even if the statutory window or statute of limitations has expired. Previous drafts of the bills that passed also removed liability from other government entities – such as municipalities – and would have pushed the disclosure window to a person’s 52nd birthday.
The bills will now be presented to the state Senate, which is controlled by Democrats.
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Karamo opponents: Do not speed up your appeal
Opponent of the former chair of the Republican Party of Michigan Kristina Karamo argued in a court filing Tuesday that the appeals court should not speed up its review of Karamo’s attempt to be reinstated as chairman of the state Republican Party ahead of the upcoming election.
On Sunday, Karamo asked the appeals court to intervene and recognize her as chair of the Michigan Republican Party. In February, Kent County Judge J. Joseph Rossi ruled that she was right to be removed from office and replaced by Pete Hoekstraa former congressman from West Michigan and U.S. ambassador to the Netherlands.
In his submissions to the Court of Appeal, Karamo’s lawyer stated: Daniel Hartmancited the Republican National Convention, which begins on July 15, as well as the upcoming primary and general elections as arguments for expedited treatment.
“Judge Rossi’s ruling must be vacated and the permanent injunction lifted, and that must happen soon given all the planned events on the near-term calendar,” Hartman wrote.
But in a response filed Tuesday by lawyers at Warner Norcross + Judd, who are working for Karamo’s opponents, she said she had not provided “a single legitimate reason for expediting the appeal process.”
“Karamo also cites the upcoming election dates in Michigan as ‘grounds for an expedited appeal,’ but does not explain how her reinstatement as committee chair will impact that election,” the lawyers wrote. “In fact, no expedited ground exists here. Karamo will be no more harmed by this Court’s decision on this appeal in the normal course of action than any other appellant seeking review of a lower court’s decision.”
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NRCC Ad Buys
The National Republican Congressional Committee last week reserved more than $2.73 million in Michigan media markets as part of its first wave of independent spending for the fall.
The House Republican campaign arm said it had reserved $1.62 million in the Detroit market and $1.11 million in the Flinter market. The NRCC said the Detroit reservation was earmarked for campaigning in Michigan’s swing 7th District, which is considered Representative Elissa SlotkinD-Holly, is running for Senate. Former State Senator Tom BarrettR-Charlotte, and Curtis HertelD-East Lansing, are expected to compete there in November.
The NRCC did not make any reservations in the Lansing and Grand Rapids markets in the first round. The purchases were part of the NRCC’s $45.7 million in independent spending on reservations announced last week for the 2024 election cycle.
“From day one, the NRCC has committed itself not only to maintaining our majority, but to going on the offensive to expand our majority – today we are putting our words into action,” NRCC Chairman Richard Hudson of North Carolina said in a statement: “This initial investment gives our candidates the firepower to remind voters of the border, crime and inflation crises created by Biden that are destroying their daily lives.”
The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee released its first round of ad reservations for 2024 earlier this month and also left Grand Rapids out at the start.
The group has reserved nearly $1.46 million in the Detroit market, which could help Hertel in the 7th or the Democratic candidate in Metro Detroit’s 10th district, where the party is targeting the first GOP U.S. MP John James of Shelby Township.
The DCCC also reserved $1.28 million worth of airtime in the Lansing market to defend the 7th District in the Barrett-Hertel race. A DCCC spokesman said reservations in other markets such as Flint would likely follow.
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Tweet of the week
The Insider Report’s “Tweet of the Week,” which recognizes a social media post from the past week that deserves attention or maybe just a laugh, goes to Michigan Senate Majority Leader Sam SinghD-East Lansing.
This week, there were many contenders for that honor. That usually happens when the legislature is in session — and lawmakers post after 2 a.m. The House and Senate met at 10 a.m. on Wednesday and continued until about 5 a.m. on Thursday.
When it was all over, Singh posted a video on Twitter at 6:11 a.m. Thursday of himself with a smile on his face in front of the Michigan Capitol.
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