Pennsylvania victims of child sex abuse suffer yet again, this time at the hands of Senate Majority Leader Kim Ward
We are disappointed to learn that HB951 has been taken off the table in the Pennsylvania Senate. This bill would have opened a two-year window for survivors of child sex abuse to sue their perpetrators and any institution that enabled them. Instead, Majority Leader Senator Kim Ward essentially blocked this bill from a full Senate vote. HB951 passed the House and Judiciary committee by an overwhelming margin, yet Senator Ward and a handful of colleagues claim the bill is "unconstitutional."
We agree with Attorney General Josh Shapiro's statement on social media, "There are no legitimate constitutional concerns to providing survivors a fair chance in court, which is why no Senator has provided us with any constitutional questions to answer. Multiple states have passed similar reforms and they’ve been upheld by courts across the country. We are just two votes away from this being signed into law by the Governor. Why hasn’t the Senate given brave survivors the vote they were promised?"
We too want to know why Senate Majority Leader Leader Ward is turning her back on victims.
We remain committed to survivors and advocates in Pennsylvania and every other state. Victims deserve their day in court and SNAP will continue to support them through our network.
CONTACT: Michael McDonnell, SNAP Communications Manager ([email protected], 267.261.0578), Zach Hiner, SNAP Executive Director ([email protected], 517.974.9009) Shaun Dougherty, SNAP Board Member (814-341-8386), Mary McHale, SNAP Leader Reading, Pa. (610-914-8446)
Winter Appeal 2023
To our friends,
2023 has been a long year with many ups and downs for us all. As we close out the year, we at SNAP hope that you are feeling like you are on your way to being healthy, fulfilled, and happy. This past year has brought both successes and challenges. Thanks to the support you have shown in the past, we’ve been able to celebrate the good days and weather the stormy ones. Now, we are once again asking for your support as we work to support survivors new and old as we ‘Move SNAP Forward.’
At SNAP we are proud to have hosted a very well-attended conference in August 2023. This event allowed us to gather friends, survivors, advocates, and allies for a weekend of camaraderie and connection. We were so happy to be able to welcome many first-time attendees to gather in person and are already looking forward to the next conference.
To strengthen our movement for justice, healing, and prevention, SNAP will be expanding our peer support and providing more volunteer opportunities in the coming year. Through this great work, we are ensuring survivor voices are represented as we work for significant change that will benefit children and survivors.
Right now, survivors worldwide are getting the help they need from SNAP, and more and more reach out to us daily, but we need your help to keep those programs going and get our volunteers the training they need to thrive.
Your tax-deductible gift to SNAP can help offset the cost of our important mission. If you are not in a position to contribute, you can still support us by sharing this letter with those who can. As we continue to fight for survivors across the globe, your donation or sharing the great work SNAP does will help us continue our work to protect the vulnerable, heal the wounded, and prevent abuse.
Your donation ensures SNAP will be there for those who need us more than ever!
Warmly,
Michael W. McDonnell, C.P.S.
Interim Executive Director