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Minutes for HB2646 - Committee on Judiciary
Short Title
Requiring the attorney general to coordinate training for law enforcement agencies on missing and murdered indigenous people.
Minutes Content for Wed, Feb 19, 2020
Natalie Scott provided an overview of HB2646. (Attachment 5) She stood for questions.
Proponent
Representative Ponka-We Victors provided proponent testimony for the bill. (Attachment 6) Ms. Victors explained this bill seeks to coordinate between numerous Kansas Law Enforcement, Kansas Bureau Investigation and many other agencies in the state to work with and address training, data collection, and reporting Kansas tribes regarding missing and murdered indigenous person in Kansas.This is not about crimes on the reservations it is occurring in all areas of the country. She stood for questions.
Liana Onnen provided proponent testimony for the bill. (Attachment 7) She has worked with Representative Victors for over two years. There needs to be cooperation between Law Enforcement Agencies both state and tribal to define the scope of the problem to begin addressing what is known within her community to be a problem. It appears to be jurisdictional issue and until these agencies begin to talk they may never truly understand it. She stood for questions.
Georgia Blackwood provided proponent testimony for the bill. (Attachment 8) Ms. Blackwood stated numerous statistics that support something needs to be done to address this issue. She stood for questions.
Carole Cadue-Blackwood provided proponent testimony for the bill. (Attachment 9) Ms.Cadue-Blackwood talked about the significant number of disappearances and deaths of our Native American people have placed our communities in a crisis of sexual and criminal victimization. It is time for Kansas to take action of this issue. She stood for questions.
Chairperson Patton allowed Shelly Eagleman and another young Native American woman from the audience to testify without having submitted written testimony. Both gave very personal and moving stories.
Chairperson Patton directed members of the committee to refer to the written proponent testimony in their bill folder.
Neutral Written
- Sara Rust-Martin, Legal and Policy Director, Kansas Coalition Against Sexual & Domestic Violence (Attachment 10)
- Office of Derek Schmidt, Attorney General, State of Kansas (Attachment 11)
Chairperson Patton closed the hearing.
