The “ayes” have it! :-)
One small step- but a step forward none the less-on behalf of DV Victims and their families in Kansas.
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Sign here to Say No and UNiTE Globally to make ending violence against women a Top Priority. http://www.saynotoviolence.org/join-say-no/janas-campaign-stop-domestic-violence
In honor of the late Jana Mackey, a committed group of advocates have created Jana's Campaign to encourage and promote a public policy response to domestic violence. "We believe it is our responsibility to use the story of Jana's life and the story of her death to help reduce violence against women."Jana's Campaign promotes new and effective legislation and other government action that secures safety and justice for victims of domestic violence. "It is our deep desire to play a significant role in breaking the cycle of domestic violence and be a catalyst for social change."
Public Policy Advocacy
We are a grassroots, community-based advocacy campaign working in the domestic violence public policy arena. Our public policy strategy and actions include partnering with other advocates and victims to encourage the development of effective state, national and international domestic violence public policy. Jana's Campaign's mission is to promote new and effective legislation and other government actions that "secures safety and justice for victims of domestic violence."
About Jana and Her Legacy
Jana Mackey was well-known throughout Kansas for her advocacy for women's rights. She had spent years volunteering to aid victims of sexual assault and domestic violence. She received her bachelor's degree in Women's Studies from the University of Kansas and was an active participant in KU's Commission on the Status of Women. Jana also served as one of the youngest lobbyists at the Kansas State Capitol for the National Organization for Women. The most unlikely of domestic violence victims, KU law student Jana Mackey was found dead in her ex-boyfriend's home on July 3, 2008. For more about Jana please visitwww.janascampaign.org or www.1100torches.org.
Date:
02/05/2010
Location: Hays, Kansas , PO Box 647 , Hays, KS
United States See map: Google Maps
Action Type:Other
Sponsored By:
Jana's Campaign
RESOURCES
UPDATES
Respect for women is not measured only by the often referred to “glass ceiling,” but measured by laws and compassion that protect them from domestic violence. The following is a column by Robert T. Stephan, Chair of Governor Mark Parkinson’s’ Domestic Violence Fatality Review Board:
On February 1st, Curt and Christie Brungardt spoke in favor of a new domestic violence law-Kansas HB2517. Their testimony was presented to the House Committee on Corrections and Juvenile Justice.
http://cjonline.com/news/legislature/2010-02-01/advocates_seek_violence_tag
http://www2.ljworld.com/news/2010/feb/01/17-million-mistake-shorts-water-litigation-fund/
http://www.wibw.com/home/headlines/83296722.html
http://www.ksnt.com/news/local/story/Domestic-Violence-Bill-Testimony/b4o_wy5VREKsYms9dRAYqA.cspx
http://janascampaign.blogspot.com/
Jana's Campaign applauds Congress for introducing the International Violence Against Women Act (IVAWA). This bill was introduced in both the House and the Senate this past week. We recommend that you contact your Representatives and Senators and ask them to support IVAWA. http://endabuse.org/content/features/detail/1451/
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By Erin Brown
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
http://www.kansan.com/news/2010/feb/09/domestic-violence/
Legislators are reviewing a new House bill to expand the definition of domestic violence and help to better identify offenders early on. The bill is in response to delayed convictions of domestic violence in Kansas.
Representative Pat Colloton, R-Leawood, said the current laws in Kansas don’t catch offenders early enough. In Kansas, domestic violence is defined as battery of a person, she said. The first two times the crime is committed it is a misdemeanor and the third time it is a felony.
“Only three people were convicted of domestic violence as felonies in Kansas last year,” she said. “And you know there is much more domestic violence in Kansas than that.”
Other crimes, such as destruction of property, threats and disorderly conduct, are not classified as domestic violence under the current law, said Colloton, vice-chair for the Committee on Corrections and Juvenile Justice.
If these offenses were committed within an intimate partner relationship, the new bill, HB 2517, would ask police officers, attorneys and courts to consider them as possible domestic violence crimes. The offender’s record would then receive a domestic violence tag that would remain on the conviction record, showing incidents of domestic violence and providing a better understanding of criminal history, lawmakers said.
Offenders may also be required to attend treatment such as anger management programs.
Colloton said the tags would help catch domestic violence offenders before an incident of battery.
“The sociologists tell us domestic violence gets worse and worse with greater and greater risk,” Colloton said. “We want that criminal history.”
The mother and stepfather of former KU law student Jana Mackey testified in favor of the bill last week. Mackey, 25, was killed by her ex-boyfriend, Adolfo Garcia-Nunez, 46, in 2008. He reportedly choked her, struck her and cut her on the arm with a knife.
Two days after being taken into custody, Garcia-Nunez committed suicide.
Tanner Willbanks, a senior from Hays and former friend of Mackey, said he thought the bill was a good idea.
“Police will be able to watch escalations in the crime much easier,” he said.
Willbanks said he didn’t know whether Mackey would still be alive if a similar bill had been passed earlier, but that education is the best way to prevent domestic violence.
“People need to understand that just because their mom or dad did it, that doesn’t make it right,” he said.
One in four women nationwide have been victims of domestic violence, Willbanks said. And according to the Kansas Bureau of Investigation, a domestic violence incident occurred in Kansas every 28 minutes and 34 seconds in 2004.
“Pretty much everybody has had it happen to somebody they know,” Willbanks said. “People need to realize that this is not something to stay silent about. People need to talk about it.”
Erin Fletcher, a junior from Leawood, volunteers with Women’s Transitional Care Services. She said education and awareness are important to prevention, and that she supports the efforts of the new bill.
“It’s just awful to see people that have been clearly abused, but the abuser never gets charged with anything,” she said. “They really don’t get enough justice.”
— Edited by Anna Archibald
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http://www.fox4kc.com/news/wdaf-story-kansas-domestic-violence-bill-020210,0,821116.story
Leslie Carto, edited by Jason Vaughn, February 2, 2010
OLATHE, KAN - A proposed new Kansas law might mean tougher jail sentences for those convicted of domestic abuse as a bill being considered in a Kansas House committee would expand what the stae considers domestic violence crime.
Johnson County District Attorney Steve Howe says that he welcomes the new laws. He says that his office is seeing more domestic violence cases, many of them with a higher degree of violence than before.
"We've seen some very serious cases and in fact the last three homicides you could say are domestic violence related homicides," said Howe.
SAFEHOME executive director Sharon Katz says that she is following the bill, Kansas House Bill 2517, closely as it makes it's way through the Kansas legislature. She says that by expanding the definition of domestic violence from only battery to include arson, theft and disorderly conduct as domestic abuse will help hold abusers accountable for their crimes.
"Domestic violence is a serious issue involving a pattern of behavior," said Katz. "It's controlling, coercing, punishing another person."
"I think it will assist the system to hold people accountable for a series of events, a series of crimes against their intimate partner," said Katz.
A string of domestic violence convictions would send up a red flag to a judge who might not otherwise see the pattern. Johnson County has used a similiar domestic violence "tagging" program since 1996.
"Not only does it allow us to have SAFEHOME and their resources early on to assist the victim by early identification, it also allows us to ID those cases and so conditions of bond, things the prosecutors and courts need to know, about are clearly defined," said Howe.
Howe says a state law mirroring Johnson County's program would provide an improvement in the level of protection for victims of domestic violence.
"It allows us to have some consistency through the court," said Howe.
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The committee will vote on February 12th 12:00 PM-1:30 PM room 144-S Kansas State house.
[publisher note: If any one has any other material that they would like to be published so that we can get the word out-please Subject line HB 2517
send to AngelFury@AngelFury.org
Claudine Dombrowski- Survivor- Submitted Written Testimony For Domestic Violence Tag Law
Michelle Blasdel- Survivor Written Testimony For Domestic Violence Tag Law proponent HB 2517
Judge Harold Flaigle Domestic Violence Fatality Review Board
Robert Stephan Chair Domestic Violence Fatality Review Board
Kari Ann Rinker KSNOW-Lobbyist
Judge Welch Johnson County Courthouse Domestic Violence Docket
Jenny Marsh Director of Crime Victim Services Kansas Department of Corrections
Ed Klumpp_ Associations of: . Chief of Police_ Peace Officers_ Sherriff’s
Douglas J. Miles Chief Deputy DA Colorado Springs, CO. Domestic Violence Specialist
Kansas lawmakers heard testimony Monday about a new proposed domestic violence law. Members of the house committee on corrections and juvenile justice heard testimony about a bill to assist the criminal justice system in documenting crimes linked to domestic violence and track repeated offenders.
Posted: 5:32 PM Feb 1, 2010
Reporter: Stephanie Ramos
Email Address: stephanie.ramos@wibw.com
Kansas lawmakers gathered Monday to hear testimony about a new proposed domestic violence law. The bill proposed Monday will track people who are continuously domestic violence offenders..... one victim's family was there to support not just their daughter but everyone who may be affected.
Jana Mackey, a University of Kansas law student was only 25 years old when she was murdered by her ex boyfriend 18 months ago.
"My hope is that we get a positive reaction from the house committee members and that next week when they take a vote on this bill..hopefully they will support it and move it on to the full house..by the end of the session bill for the governor to sign." says Curt Brungardt, stepfather of victim Jana Mackey.
The Brungardt's say proposed house bill 2517 is a good way to keep track of domestic violence crimes but will also reduce the amount of offenders...
The family hopes that when the bill is voted on next week it will pass on to the next level and that by the end of the session the bill will be ready to be signed by the governor.
| Douglas J. Miles Chief Deputy DA Colorado Springs CO. DV Specialist |
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| Judge Harold Flaigle Domestic Violence Fatality Review Board
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| Robert Stephan Chair Domestic Violence Fatality Review Board |
http://cjonline.com/news/local/2010-01-30/committee_to_hear_testimony
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January 30, 2010 - 4:08pm
Members of the House Committee on Corrections and Juvenile Justice will hear testimony Monday about proposed legislation that will assist the criminal justice system in documenting crimes associated with domestic violence.
Curt and Christie Brungardt, who created Jana's Campaign to Stop Domestic Violence after their daughter, Jana Mackey, was slain in 2008 by her ex-boyfriend, will speak in support of the proposed legislation.
House Bill 2517 requires a domestic violence tag be placed on all legal documents associated with a criminal act that is based on a domestic relationship. The tag is important because offenders often repeat their crimes, Curt Brungardt said in a news release. If passed, the legislation will encourage sanctions to be put in place before violence escalates.
Also testifying at the hearing include representatives from the Attorney General's office, the Governor's Domestic Violence Fatality Review Board, Department of Corrections, law enforcement and the Kansas Coalition Against Sexual and Domestic Violence.
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