By Howard Fischer | Capitol Media Services via Arizona Daily Star
Plans for a Republican-crafted state budget blew up Thursday. A second GOP lawmaker said she won’t vote for a spending plan unless the state gives victims of childhood sexual abuse more time to sue their attackers.
Sen. Heather Carter, R-Cave Creek, said providing legal relief to victims is too important to allow business as usual.
“Sometimes there are issues that transcend everything else we do down at the Capitol,” she told Capitol Media Services. “It’s time for Arizona to improve its state statutes to help child victims of sexual abuse.”
Carter’s declaration is crucial because there are only 17 Republicans in the 30-member Senate. And in aligning with Sen. Paul Boyer, R-Phoenix, who already has said he is a holdout, Carter leaves Senate President Karen Fann, R-Prescott, without a working GOP majority.