U.S. Rep. Ron Estes voted against a bill Wednesday that would create a public alert system for active shooter situations.
Estes, a Republican, represents Kansas’ 4th Congressional District, which includes Cowley County.
The bill, H.R.6538, is titled the Active Shooter Alert Act of 2022 and passed the House of Representatives 260-169. Fellow Kansas Republicans in the House Jake LaTurner and Tracey Mann joined Estes in voting against the bill. Sharice Davids, the only Democrat in Congress representing Kansas, voted in favor.
There were 43 Republicans who joined Democrats in passing the measure, including Rep. Tom Cole of Oklahoma.
The bill, which has been described as an Amber Alert approach for active shooter situations, was held up in the House in June before passing Wednesday.
According to Fox News on June 23, the bill would create a position within the Department of Justice known as the national coordinator of the Active Shooter Alert Communications Network. Acting in concert with the FEMA administrator, Transportation secretary, and FCC chair, the coordinator would make sure state and local governments have systems in place to respond to active shooter situations, and encourage them to develop alert systems so that local populations can be notified if there is a shooter nearby.
The bill now awaits the Senate.
