Arizona bill aims to activate emergency alerts for missing Indigenous people
An Arizona bill that would activate the Emergency Alert System when an Indigenous person goes missing has reached the state Senate after passing unanimously in the House. HB2281 would allow law enforcement to request alerts for missing persons of any age under suspicious circumstances, similar to Amber and Silver Alerts. The bill’s sponsor, Rep. Teresa Martinez, said the goal is to address the disproportionately high rate of missing and murdered Indigenous people. Gila River Indian Community Gov. Stephen Roe Lewis requested the legislation, which now awaits further debate in the Senate.
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