The Latest: Arizona Senate OKs childhood sex assault bill

PHOENIX (AP) — The Latest on action at the Arizona Legislature as members rush to adjourn for the year (all times local):

3:25 p.m.

The Arizona Senate has approved legislation increasing the amount of time that childhood sex assault victims can sue their alleged attackers.

The proposal had deadlocked the Legislature for weeks and prevented action on a state budget. A compromise finally reached over the weekend led the way for Monday's 29-0 vote.

The measure now heading to the House give victims until age 30 to sue instead of age 20. It also opens a "window" for people currently barred from suing to file until December 2020 but increases the standard of proof they must have.

Republican Sen. Heather Carter says she has been threatened for her refusal not to back a budget until the bill passed.

GOP Sen. Eddie Farnsworth had opposed the measure over concerns innocent people could be accused decades after an allege incident. He says no one wants to protect child abusers and that the compromise protects both sides.

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2:30 p.m.

The Arizona Senate has approved a House bill cutting sales taxes farmers pay for fertilizer and pesticides.

The proposal approved Monday on a 17-12 vote would cost the state about $15 million a year and is being pushed by Republican Rep. Tim Dunn, a Yuma farmer. Dunn says Arizona is one of just two states that tax those items.

The state has levied taxes on the products since the state sales tax was put in place in the 1930s. Democrats oppose the measure as a special interest tax cut pushed by a company that lost a court case where it sought an exemption.

Democratic Sen. Martin Quezada said Monday the company then moved to the Legislature to get its way and says the measure gives a deal to a company that doesn't want to pay its share of taxes.

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