The House Judiciary Committee is considering the creation a special revenue account for the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Peoples Task Force stating it is necessary to keep the program going.
A little background: The task force was created in 2019 and the 2023 Legislature extended its authorization for ten years. According to the Montana Department of Justice, their mission is to identify barriers to jurisdiction on tribal land and increase reporting and investigation into cases of missing and murdered indigenous people. Now, some lawmakers are advocating for creating a way for the task force to raise the money it needs.
Democratic Representative Tyson Running Wolf of Browning is sponsoring House Bill 83, which would allow the task force to create an account so it can raise funds. “The task force currently does not have a mechanism to raise funds, purchase equipment, or maintain operational costs. The task force would like to create an account, have the ability to accept and generate funds to help support the task force’s mission and objectives.”
Patrick Yawakie, representing the Blackfeet tribe, supports the bill, saying there are 48 missing indigenous people in Montana. The DOJ says 21 of these people have been missing for over a year, and 27 have been missing for less than a year.
Yawakie said a special revenue account would allow the task force to apply for grants, accept gifts, and generally bring in revenue for their operations. “With advancements in forensic science and search and rescue capabilities, having these resources can mean the probability these individuals are found.”
No one spoke in opposition at the bill’s first hearing Monday.
KGEZ 20-20 News thanks Emma White, of the University of Montana School of Journalism, for her work on this story. The Montana Broadcasters and the Newspapers Associations and the Greater Montana Foundation provided funding for these reports.
