Latest news with #CoalitiontoStopViolenceAgainstNativeWomen
Yahoo
10-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Native communities in New Mexico hope new Turquoise Alert System will facilitate the safe return of more missing members
New Mexico this week became the latest state to pass a law aimed at addressing an ongoing national crisis surrounding missing and murdered Indigenous people – particularly in unsolved cases involving women and girls. Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham on Monday signed a bill creating the new Turquoise Alert System. It's among a series of federal and state initiatives launched across the country in recent years to address an issue advocates and tribal leaders say has largely been ignored. Homicide is the No. 1 cause of death for American Indian and Alaska Native females between the ages of 10 and 24 and the fifth-leading cause of death for 25- to 34-year-olds, according to US Rep. Mike Simpson, who last year wrote an op-ed highlighting how Indigenous women and girls are murdered at a disproportionate rate. Nationally, 40% of all victims of sex trafficking are identified as American Indian and Alaska Native women. In 2023 alone, over 5,800 American Indian and Alaska Native females were reported missing, 74% of whom were children, according to data provided by the Idaho Republican – who chairs the House Interior and Environment Subcommittee. 'We have witnessed firsthand the devastation of delayed responses in cases involving missing and murdered Indigenous women and relatives … and this law gives us the tools to ensure that no more families experience this unnecessary heartache,' Tiffany Jiron, executive director of the Coalition to Stop Violence Against Native Women, said in a statement after the passage of the New Mexico legislation. 'Today's victory is a testament to the power of advocacy, resilience, and the unwavering determination of Native communities to stand up for their rights and their loved ones,' wrote Jiron. With arrival of the Turquoise Alert System, which will go into effect on July 1, New Mexico becomes the fourth state with a specialized alert system focused on Indigenous people, according to the New Mexico Department of Indian Affairs. Washington, California, and Colorado each have similar systems in place, but New Mexico's alert system will be the first to utilize cell phone alerts, said Paris Wise of the New Mexico Department of Indian Affairs. There are 23 tribes in New Mexico and the state's Native American citizens represent nearly 12.4% of its population, according to the New Mexico Department of Indian Affairs. 'Most of our folks live off tribal land, just like anywhere else in the country. And there were a lot of questions while we were introducing this, like, 'Is this going to help tribal police?' or 'Is this for when people leave the reservation?' Just these questions that are still rooted in a deep misunderstanding of our community,' bill sponsor state Sen. Angel M. Charley told CNN. 'A lot of our people don't live on tribal land and this is another tool that can be used for the safety of native people when they do go missing.' New Mexico's Legislature in March unanimously passed Senate Bill 41, creating the new alert system, with a 60-0 vote. The Turquoise Alert System was named to reflect the importance of the stone to the Nations, Pueblos and Tribes in New Mexico, in particular. 'Additionally, we also looked at how some of the other Alerts happen to be like a 'stone' (Amber) or 'metal' (Silver),' New Mexico Indian Affairs Department Cabinet Secretary Josett D. Monette told CNN. 'Turquoise is considered a powerful stone among the Nations, Pueblos and Tribes in New Mexico and represents their strength and resilience.' The new alert system will link law enforcement agencies, tribal communities, and state resources to provide a rapid response when Native Americans are reported missing. It will function similarly to existing alert systems, like Amber and Silver alerts, by rapidly sharing information about missing Native Americans with the public through law enforcement channels, cell phone alerts, news media, social media, and digital highway signs. The New Mexico Department of Public Safety, or the lead law enforcement agency, will be responsible for issuing Turquoise Alerts, based on specific criteria to ensure an immediate and effective response, according to the New Mexico Department of Indian Affairs. Legislators worked closely with the department of public safety in drafting the bill to ensure it would meet emergency thresholds needed to activate the alert so as not to overwhelm the system, Charley said. 'Right now, we have – in New Mexico – over 200 active missing cases,' Charley told CNN. 'I think folks were really concerned that one, it would overwhelm folks, and two, that people would opt out of the system altogether.' The state senator said legislators worked with the New Mexico Department of Public Safety, agreeing to increase one of the required alerting thresholds to include language stating there would need to be 'evidence of imminent danger of serious bodily harm to or death of the missing person,' to trigger an alert from cellular service companies. 'For years now, we have stepped up on our own to help locate our missing brothers and sisters through coordinated local efforts and on social media,' another bill sponsor, state Rep. Michelle Paulene Abeyta, said. 'Establishing the Turquoise Alert will allow the state to amplify these community-led efforts to better ensure the protection and safe return of our loved ones.' New Mexico's bid to address the crisis comes amid efforts from the federal government to assist with locating missing Native Americans and solve violent crimes in Indigenous communities. Earlier this month, the US Justice Department announced the FBI would be sending extra agents, analysts and other personnel to field offices in 10 states over the next six months to help investigate unsolved violent crimes, to address high rates of violence affecting Native American communities. Work to address the decadeslong crisis stretches back to President Donald Trump's first term, when he established a special task force aimed at curbing the high rate of killings and disappearances among Native Americans and Alaska Natives. In August, the Federal Communications Commission voted to establish a new missing and endangered persons alert, which is particularly beneficial to tribal communities, to deliver critical alert messages to the public over television, radio, and wireless phones. The new missing and endangered persons alerts within the nation's Emergency Alert System and Wireless Emergency Alert system will help law enforcement agencies steer public attention toward missing and endangered people of all ages who do not qualify for Amber Alerts, the FCC said. The 'MEP' alert code for missing and endangered persons specifically applies where criteria for an Amber Alert are not met and enables a 'more rapid and coordinated response to these incidents,' according to the FCC. A software manufacturer is in the process of implementing that code into alerting software currently in use in New Mexico, the state Department of Public Safety says. 'Once it is available, we will utilize the MEP alert code to distribute alerts via the Wireless Emergency Alerts and Emergency Alert System, but only when there is evidence of imminent danger of serious bodily harm to or death of the missing person and that there is enough descriptive information about the missing person to assist in locating that person,' Sgt. Ricardo Breceda with New Mexico State Police told CNN. CNN's Nicole Chavez contributed to this report.
CNN
10-04-2025
- Politics
- CNN
New Mexico tackles crisis of missing and murdered Indigenous people with new alert system
New Mexico this week became the latest state to pass a law aimed at addressing an ongoing national crisis surrounding missing and murdered Indigenous people – particularly in unsolved cases involving women and girls. Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham on Monday signed a bill creating the new Turquoise Alert System. It's among a series of federal and state initiatives launched across the country in recent years to address an issue advocates and tribal leaders say has largely been ignored. Homicide is the No. 1 cause of death for American Indian and Alaska Native females between the ages of 10 and 24 and the fifth-leading cause of death for 25- to 34-year-olds, according to US Rep. Mike Simpson, who last year wrote an op-ed highlighting how Indigenous women and girls are murdered at a disproportionate rate. Nationally, 40% of all victims of sex trafficking are identified as American Indian and Alaska Native women. In 2023 alone, over 5,800 American Indian and Alaska Native females were reported missing, 74% of whom were children, according to data provided by the Idaho Republican – who chairs the House Interior and Environment Subcommittee. 'We have witnessed firsthand the devastation of delayed responses in cases involving missing and murdered Indigenous women and relatives … and this law gives us the tools to ensure that no more families experience this unnecessary heartache,' Tiffany Jiron, executive director of the Coalition to Stop Violence Against Native Women, said in a statement after the passage of the New Mexico legislation. 'Today's victory is a testament to the power of advocacy, resilience, and the unwavering determination of Native communities to stand up for their rights and their loved ones,' wrote Jiron. With arrival of the Turquoise Alert System, which will go into effect on July 1, New Mexico becomes the fourth state with a specialized alert system focused on Indigenous people, according to the New Mexico Department of Indian Affairs. Washington, California, and Colorado each have similar systems in place, but New Mexico's alert system will be the first to utilize cell phone alerts, said Paris Wise of the New Mexico Department of Indian Affairs. There are 23 tribes in New Mexico and the state's Native American citizens represent nearly 12.4% of its population, according to the New Mexico Department of Indian Affairs. 'Most of our folks live off tribal land, just like anywhere else in the country. And there were a lot of questions while we were introducing this, like, 'Is this going to help tribal police?' or 'Is this for when people leave the reservation?' Just these questions that are still rooted in a deep misunderstanding of our community,' bill sponsor state Sen. Angel M. Charley told CNN. 'A lot of our people don't live on tribal land and this is another tool that can be used for the safety of native people when they do go missing.' New Mexico's Legislature in March unanimously passed Senate Bill 41, creating the new alert system, with a 60-0 vote. The Turquoise Alert System was named to reflect the importance of the stone to the Nations, Pueblos and Tribes in New Mexico, in particular. 'Additionally, we also looked at how some of the other Alerts happen to be like a 'stone' (Amber) or 'metal' (Silver),' New Mexico Indian Affairs Department Cabinet Secretary Josett D. Monette told CNN. 'Turquoise is considered a powerful stone among the Nations, Pueblos and Tribes in New Mexico and represents their strength and resilience.' The new alert system will link law enforcement agencies, tribal communities, and state resources to provide a rapid response when Native Americans are reported missing. It will function similarly to existing alert systems, like Amber and Silver alerts, by rapidly sharing information about missing Native Americans with the public through law enforcement channels, cell phone alerts, news media, social media, and digital highway signs. The New Mexico Department of Public Safety, or the lead law enforcement agency, will be responsible for issuing Turquoise Alerts, based on specific criteria to ensure an immediate and effective response, according to the New Mexico Department of Indian Affairs. Legislators worked closely with the department of public safety in drafting the bill to ensure it would meet emergency thresholds needed to activate the alert so as not to overwhelm the system, Charley said. 'Right now, we have – in New Mexico – over 200 active missing cases,' Charley told CNN. 'I think folks were really concerned that one, it would overwhelm folks, and two, that people would opt out of the system altogether.' The state senator said legislators worked with the New Mexico Department of Public Safety, agreeing to increase one of the required alerting thresholds to include language stating there would need to be 'evidence of imminent danger of serious bodily harm to or death of the missing person,' to trigger an alert from cellular service companies. 'For years now, we have stepped up on our own to help locate our missing brothers and sisters through coordinated local efforts and on social media,' another bill sponsor, state Rep. Michelle Paulene Abeyta, said. 'Establishing the Turquoise Alert will allow the state to amplify these community-led efforts to better ensure the protection and safe return of our loved ones.' New Mexico's bid to address the crisis comes amid efforts from the federal government to assist with locating missing Native Americans and solve violent crimes in Indigenous communities. Earlier this month, the US Justice Department announced the FBI would be sending extra agents, analysts and other personnel to field offices in 10 states over the next six months to help investigate unsolved violent crimes, to address high rates of violence affecting Native American communities. Work to address the decadeslong crisis stretches back to President Donald Trump's first term, when he established a special task force aimed at curbing the high rate of killings and disappearances among Native Americans and Alaska Natives. In August, the Federal Communications Commission voted to establish a new missing and endangered persons alert, which is particularly beneficial to tribal communities, to deliver critical alert messages to the public over television, radio, and wireless phones. The new missing and endangered persons alerts within the nation's Emergency Alert System and Wireless Emergency Alert system will help law enforcement agencies steer public attention toward missing and endangered people of all ages who do not qualify for Amber Alerts, the FCC said. The 'MEP' alert code for missing and endangered persons specifically applies where criteria for an Amber Alert are not met and enables a 'more rapid and coordinated response to these incidents,' according to the FCC. A software manufacturer is in the process of implementing that code into alerting software currently in use in New Mexico, the state Department of Public Safety says. 'Once it is available, we will utilize the MEP alert code to distribute alerts via the Wireless Emergency Alerts and Emergency Alert System, but only when there is evidence of imminent danger of serious bodily harm to or death of the missing person and that there is enough descriptive information about the missing person to assist in locating that person,' Sgt. Ricardo Breceda with New Mexico State Police told CNN. CNN's Nicole Chavez contributed to this report.
Yahoo
08-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Gov. Lujan Grisham signs 60 bills into law
New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham signs Senate Bill 3, which seeks to rebuild the state's behavioral health system, during a signing ceremony at the New Mexico Legislature on Feb. 27, 2025. (Photo by Austin Fisher / Source NM) Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham on Monday signed five dozen bills on topics running the gamut from emergency services and elections to public safety and psychedelic mushroom therapy. She signed Senate Bill 41, mandating New Mexico establish an alert system for missing Indigenous people, a move praised by the Coalition to Stop Violence Against Native Women. 'Today, we celebrate a victory for Native communities across New Mexico and beyond,' CSVANW Executive Director Tiffany Jiron said in a statement. 'The signing of SB41 is not just a policy achievement, it's a victory for every Native mother, daughter, sister, and aunt who has ever been impacted by the violence that continues to ravage our communities…The Turquoise Alert System is a powerful tool that will help law enforcement act quickly when a Native person goes missing, providing the necessary resources to respond with urgency and care.' Senate Bill 16, which allows independent voters to participate in primary elections without changing voter registration (Lujan Grisham signaled at the end of the session she liked this proposal). Other important legislation the governor signed includes: House Bill 458, which establishes the Energy, Minerals, and Natural Resources Department's authority to regulate carbon sequestration — pumping carbon dioxide into the ground. The bill collects fees for injection and establishes a fund to cover the costs of liability for ensuring carbon stays stored underground. HB458 passed on a 26-11 vote after contentious debate in the Senate's final late-night session. The governor also signed off on Senate Bill 57, which creates an exemption in the state's public records laws for any records that contain 'personal identifying information or sensitive information,' of public sector abortion providers. Senate Bill 219, which establishes a program for medicinal use of psilocybin mushrooms. Senate Bill 364, which allows immigrants authorized to work by the federal government to become police officers in New Mexico. While the governor vetoed a more comprehensive set of reforms to the state's parole system, she did sign Senate Bill 375, which allows early discharge for people who comply with probation and removes payment of court and parole costs as a condition of parole eligibility. The governor has until April 11 to act on legislation, such as signing into law or vetoing legislation. If a bill goes unsigned after the deadline, it is not enacted — called a pocket veto. Four bills contain 'emergency clauses,' meaning they went into effect as soon as the governor signed them. House Bill 206 authorizes the New Mexico Finance Authority to loan money to 62 public entities for water infrastructure projects, and Senate Bill 115 authorizes loans for up to $1 million to an additional 200 public entities, such as schools, cities and local governments. Senate Bill 33 creates a Wildfire Prepared Program in the Energy, Minerals and Natural Resources Department's Forestry Division to provide technical assistance and training to help structures and properties in high-risk areas survive wildfire. Senate Bill 66 exempts the Early Childhood Education and Care Department; the Children, Youth, and Families Department; the Public Education Department; and other agencies considering people applying for caregiver roles from the Criminal Offender Employment Act, which prohibits employers from automatically barring people from job opportunities because of their criminal history. Here is the complete list of bills that Lujan Grisham signed into law on Monday: House Bill 41: Public Project Fund Appropriations House Bill 071: Early Childhood Ed & Care Fund Transfers House Bill 99: Nonrepairable Vehicle Certificates House Bill 101: Firearm At Polling Place for Law Enforcement House Bill 102: Violent Felonies for Meritorious Deduction House Bill 131: Caregiver Background Checks House Bill 159: Energy Project Siting & Military Bases House Bill 167: Higher Ed. Payment for Certain Tests House Bill 174: Pharmacy Reimbursement for Certain Plans House Bill 192: Digital Trunked Radio System Subscriber Fees House Bill 206: NMFA Water Project Fund Projects House Bill 233: Diabetic Foot Ulcer Equipment Coverage House Bill 244: Magistrate Judge Minimum Age House Bill 251: Ed. Retirement Beneficiary Changes House Bill 281: Hair Braiding Licensure House Bill 298: Local Government Official Changes House Bill 323: Engineer Licensure House Bill 340: DNA Of Certain Offenders in CODIS House Bill 357: Mi Via Waiver Program Provider Gross Receipts House Bill 361: EMNRD Conversion of Certain Wells House Bill 402: Health Insurance Provider Info Loading House Bill 431: Appointment Of Watershed Boards House Bill 439: Public Safety Telecommunicator CPR Training House Bill 458: Carbon Dioxide Storage Stewardship Act House Bill 553: Timber Grading Act House Bill 586: Review Of Certain Healthcare Transactions House Bill 618: Clarify DoIT Role on Agency Projects Senate Bill 007: Storm Water Service as Municipal Utility Senate Bill 008: Veterinary Medical Loan Repayment Program Senate Bill 016: Non-Major Party Voters in Primary Elections Senate Bill 033: Wildfire Prepared Act Senate Bill 037: Strategic Water Reserve Fund Senate Bill 039: Add Classes to Prior Authorization Drugs Senate Bill 041: Turquoise Alert System Senate Bill 053: Prescribing Psychologist Psychotropics Senate Bill 057: Medical Provider Patient IPRA Info Senate Bill 066: Criminal Offender Employment Exemptions Senate Bill 072: Nonprofit Condo Assoc. Remote Business Senate Bill 083: Innovation in State Government Fund Senate Bill 100: Indebtedness Limit of Arroyo Flood Control Senate Bill 101: Increase Certain Livestock Fees Senate Bill 113: Board & Commission Sunset Dates Senate Bill 115: Public Project Revolving Fund Projects Senate Bill 127: Movie Exemption from Barber & Cosmetic Act Senate Bill 155: Determination of Embezzlement Penalty Senate Bill 169: Strategic Economic Development Site Readiness Senate Bill 170: NMFA Definitions, Funds & Rates Senate Bill 201: Public Ed. Reform Fund Uses Senate Bill 219: Medical Psilocybin Act Senate Bill 236: Look Twice for Motorcycle License Plate Senate Bill 252: Social Work Telehealth Services Senate Bill 274: Board of Finance Approval for Land Sales Senate Bill 353: Search & Rescue Emergency Responses Senate Bill 364: Law Enforcement Qualifications Senate Bill 375: Probation & Parole Changes Senate Bill 376: State Employee Health Benefit Contributions Senate Bill 387: Community School Fund & Framework Senate Bill 401: Broadband for Education Senate Bill 481: State Fairgrounds District Act Senate Bill 535: Public Peace, Health, Safety & Welfare State Fees & Funds SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Associated Press
07-04-2025
- Politics
- Associated Press
New Mexico governor signs bill to provide ‘turquoise alert' when Native Americans go missing
SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham signed legislation Monday to create a 'turquoise alert' for when Native Americans go missing in the state. The effort — which had overwhelming support among lawmakers — responds to a troubling number of disappearances and killings in Indian Country. The 'turquoise alert' system — taking its name from the blue-green mineral — will allow law enforcement to quickly share information. It will function much like 'amber' and 'silver' alerts that highlight the disappearance of children and the elderly. Cellphone alerts will be issued when law enforcement finds evidence of imminent danger in the disappearance of a Native American. The legislation wasn't just a policy achievement, but a victory for every Native American mother, daughter, sister and aunt who has ever been impacted by violence, said Tiffany Jiron, executive director of the Coalition to Stop Violence Against Native Women. 'This bill reflects our deep commitment to ensuring that no Indigenous person is left behind when they go missing,' Jirons said in a statement. 'For far too long, Native women and girls have been overlooked, their cases ignored or delayed. The Turquoise Alert System is an essential step toward rectifying that injustice and ensuring that our people receive the protection they deserve.' California, Washington and Colorado have similar alert systems, according to the New Mexico Department of Indian Affairs. Arizona lawmakers are considering their own alert system as the brutal death of San Carlos Apache teenager Emily Pike reverberates through Native American communities. New Mexico has 23 federally recognized tribes, including large portions of the Navajo Nation and land holdings of the Fort Sill Apache. The safety concerns of those communities were on prominent display during the 60-day legislative session that wrapped up in March.
Yahoo
15-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Turquoise Alert System for missing Indigenous people moves through legislature
SANTA FE, N.M. (KRQE) – Lawmakers are pushing legislation to help when an endangered tribal or pueblo member goes missing. The Democratic bill, SB 41, would create a new statewide alert system to notify the public. The 'Turquoise Alert System' would be similar to the Brittany or Silver alerts. The bill has been quickly moving through the 2025 legislative session with overwhelming support. Lawmakers say data shows, on average, more than 200 Indigenous people are missing in New Mexico. Now, a bill aims to address the missing and murdered Indigenous people crisis in the state with a new alert system. Democratic Senator Angel Charley is the lead sponsor of the bill to create the Turquoise Alert. It would send a statewide notification to law enforcement and the public of an endangered person who belongs to a federally recognized Indian nation, tribe, or pueblo. Bill aimed at overhauling CYFD moves forward in the legislature In a previous committee, many supporters urged lawmakers to pass the bill. 'These communities have experienced a radical and rapid rise in missing and murdered individuals for several decades. Creating the Turquoise Alert System will give those communities more resources to slow this epidemic,' said Arturo Castillo with the Conservation Voters New Mexico. 'It's because the lack of speed of awareness that leads to so many cold cases and some families waiting years, even decades for headway in their cases,' said Ryder Jiron with the Coalition to Stop Violence Against Native Women. However, some committee members expressed doubts on how effective it may be when there are already other alert systems in place. 'What is the actual difference? What's going to be the new process that's going to make us solve this problem?' asked Senator Gabriel Ramos (R-Silver City). Wildfire prevention bills make their way through the Roundhouse Senator Charley said the current Amber and Silver alerts are based on age ranges, leaving a big portion of missing Indigenous people out of the statewide alerts, something this bill would address. 'And I understand the concerns are that you may receive way too many alerts, but I think if you keep hearing them, you'll know that there is an issue happening,' said Senator Angel Charley (D-Acoma). In 2022, the state released a response plan aimed at increasing investigations and prosecuting cases of missing Indigenous people. When presenting the bill, the sponsors said the alert system would help aid in these cases. The bill sailed through today's house committee with unanimous approval. It needs to go through one more committee and then the house floor. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
