North Dakota Legislature advances task-force bill to protect Missing and Murdered Indigenous People

The North Dakota Legislature advanced House Bill 1199 on Monday, which aims to combat disproportionately high rates of Missing and Murdered Indigenous People in North Dakota. The bill gives a task force $250,000 over the biennium to expand demographic data and to create a “Feather Alert” that would broadcast over state emergency notification systems when an Indigenous person is reported missing. In support of the bill, Senator Michelle Axtman said that “Despite the severity, MMIP (Missing and Murdered Indigenous People) has not reached a level of attention, coordination or resources necessary to generate meaningful solutions.” She also noted that Indigenous Women are ten times more likely to be murdered compared to the national average. After passing in the House, the Senate changed the bill to include a “designee” of the Attorney General as the chair of the task force, and it passed the Senate almost unanimously, 46-1, with Senator Jeff Magrum from Hazelton, being the only dissenter. The bill will be reconsidered in the House before reaching the Governor’s desk.