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Brief
Rep. Ron Kind (D-La Crosse) speaks at a US Fish and Wildlife event.
U.S. Rep. Ron Kind was the only Democrat to vote against a bill aimed at alerting people to nearby active shooters, saying he believes the system would create “chaos.”
The bill, the Active Shooter Alert Act, passed the U.S. House of Representatives on Wednesday night on a 260-169 vote. The measure received 43 Republican votes, but all of the Republicans in Wisconsin’s congressional delegation voted against the bill.
In a statement Thursday, Kind said he is “concerned that a system like this could generate more chaos and cause armed civilians to rush to the scene, potentially interfering with law enforcement efforts.”
The bill would allow states to create an active shooter alert system, similar to Amber Alerts, that would warn people in the vicinity of an active shooter. The measure also creates a position within the Department of Justice to serve as a “national coordinator” of the communications network.
Democratic Reps. Gwen Moore and Mark Pocan voted in favor of the bill. The bill is now awaiting action in the Senate.
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