Bill to help solve crimes against Native Americans stalls

Associated Press•December 21, 2018

FARGO, N.D. (AP) — A bill meant to help authorities solve cases in which Native American women go missing or are killed on tribal land looks like it will expire before getting a vote in the U.S. House.

The Senate passed the initiative sponsored by outgoing North Dakota Sen. Heidi Heitkamp, but Heitkamp said the bill is being blocked by Virginia Rep. Bob Goodlatte, KFGO radio reported . It's not clear why Goodlatte, a Republican who chairs the House Judiciary Committee, is standing in the way.

"I'd like to see Congressman Goodlatte actually visit a reservation in North Dakota and explain to the families of victims why he is blocking this bill," Heitkamp said. "Unlike Congressman Goodlatte, I am serious about saving lives and making sure Native American women are invisible no longer."

Goodlatte's office did not respond to KFGO's requests for interviews.

The measure is named "Savanna's Act" for Savanna Greywind, a slain North Dakota woman whose baby was cut from her womb. The bill aims to improve tribal access to federal crime information databases and create standardized protocols for responding to cases of missing or slain Native American women.

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