Source: marylandmatters.org 1/22/25
The lead sponsor of a 2023 law that vastly expanded the ability of child sex abuse victims to sue their abusers and the institutions that protected them said Tuesday he is open to finding ways of limiting the financial jeopardy faced by state government.
Negotiations to settle allegations against the state by 3,500 people could add additional strain on a budget that already required $3 billion in proposed cuts and tax changes to balance. Del. C.T. Wilson (D-Charles) said Tuesday that he has concerns about the looming potential costs — ranging from hundreds of millions to possibly billions — facing the state.
“The goal was never to bankrupt the state, obviously,” Wilson said of the 2023 law he sponsored. “I made it clear every time I testified, it wasn’t about money. There’s no amount of money that’s going to undo the pain that these individuals have gone through.”
Wilson, who is also the chair of the House Economic Matters Committee, said he was recently contacted by Gov. Wes Moore’s (D) office about the issue. A spokesperson for the governor could not immediately comment and noted the matter was the subject of ongoing negotiations.
