Smith, who left the Legislature last year, said the opposition to bills they filed was to prevent institutions paying more money in damages in civil lawsuits.

“You’re trying to budget damages for wrongdoings that you’ve done,” he said. “You can’t put that on a spreadsheet.”

Chris Nuelle, spokesman for Schmitt’s office, said Friday that the attorney general supported the 2017 bill removing the criminal statute of limitations but said it would be up to the Legislature to decide whether to change or lift the civil statute of limitations.

Church opposition

The Missouri Catholic Conference testified against efforts to remove the civil statute of limitations because it could open the church to lawsuits that are difficult to defend because of a lack of evidence or clear memory, said director Tyler McClay.

“At some point, it becomes unjust because there is no due process,” McClay said. “The evidence is so old and the witnesses’ memories have faded (so much) that it just becomes unfair. That’s been the rationale for statute of limitations throughout history.”