House Bill 3345, known as Ida’s Law, won unanimous approval from the House Judiciary Committee on Tuesday. Ida’s Law address the inordinate number of missing and murdered indigenous people. The bill creates the Office of Liaison of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Persons within the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation (OSBI). That office would coordinate efforts between state, tribal and federal law enforcement agencies.
HB 3345 was amended to make the bill dependent on federal funding. The Trump Administration has recently increased efforts on the federal level to address missing and murdered indigenous cases.
Representative Chelsey Branham presented the bill to the committee.
“As a Chickasaw citizen and one of two Indigenous women in the legislature, I am prepared to fight for the needs of my indigenous community every day, and to make sure they have a seat at the table when decisions are being made that impact us,” said Branham. “When the chairman approached me, I was both honored to speak about the legislation on behalf of my community, and relieved the legislation would continue through the process.”
Judiciary Committee Chairman Chris Kannady saw the bill was struggling to make it through the legislative process, so he asked Branham to carry the legislation.
“This is an issue that is important to the state of Oklahoma and to me personally, so I thought it was important to ensure the bill went forward” said Kannady whose wife and children are Choctaw Citizens. “I truly appreciated Representative Branham’s passion and guidance on the issue, and felt it was most appropriate for her, a native woman and trusted source on tribal issues, to carry the message forward. I know members seek and respect her opinions and perspectives where tribal issues are concerned, and she will be an asset in assisting me as we advance the legislation.”
Representative Mickey Dollens was one of the original authors of HB 3345 and is appreciative of the legislation making it through the committee process ahead of this week’s deadline.
“Working closely with tribal members for the past year on legislation to address Missing and Murdered Indegenious People (MMIP) in Oklahoma has been a transformative experience. The heartache and suffering that this community has gone through is brutal, and it is real. I am proud to see Ida’s Law pass through committee today, and I want to commend each of the fierce Native American advocates, especially LaRenda Morgan with the Cheyenne & Arapaho Tribes and Ashley Nicole McCray Absentee Shawnee for bringing this issue to my attention and now to the attention of our state. I commend each of them, and I thank all tribal members for including me on this journey.”
HB 3345 is heading to the House floor.
