Rozzi issues statement on first day of special session to provide justice to survivors of childhood sexual abuse

HARRISBURG, Jan. 9 – Speaker of the House Mark Rozzi issued the following statement on the special session to provide justice to survivors of childhood sexual abuse:

Despite working all day to reach an agreement to move this Special Session forward and to pass a constitutional amendment that survivors of childhood sexual abuse so desperately need and deserve, it has become apparent that the Democratic and Republican Caucuses are too far apart to proceed.

This sort of partisan divide is what has plagued Pennsylvanian politics for far too long.

Party politics must take a back seat to saving the lives of survivors of childhood sexual assault.

In an effort to move things forward and to get Democrats and Republicans talking again, I am creating a workgroup of 3 Republicans and 3 Democrats of varied interests from across the Commonwealth to sit down and find a way forward.

Make no mistake – we must pass Statute of Limitations reform.

But we also must fix the workings of our government and find a way to move forward as Pennsylvanians for the betterment of Pennsylvania.

History will not judge us based on how many Democratic Party wins or Republican Party wins we achieve, but we will be judged based on what we did for the children of this Commonwealth.