Lawmaker Renews Call For Task Force On Missing And Murdered Black Women And Girls

For the third consecutive legislative session, Wisconsin State Rep. Shelia Stubbs (D-Madison) is renewing her push to establish a task force addressing the crisis of missing and murdered Black women and girls. At a press conference Friday, Stubbs emphasized the urgency of her proposed bill, which would create a 17-member group tasked with identifying the root causes of violence and recommending solutions. “This is my third time to try and get a critical piece of legislation passed into law,” Stubbs stated.

Inspired by similar efforts in Minnesota and a Wisconsin task force focused on Indigenous women, Stubbs first introduced the bill in the 2021–2023 session. While a revised version passed the Assembly in 2023, it stalled in the Senate. “Can anyone tell me why this critical legislation could not get scheduled?” she asked. “It is not fair to these victims and their families that they have to continue to wait for this Legislature to do something.”

The urgency of the bill is backed by sobering data. A 2022 Guardian investigation found that five Black women and girls were killed daily in the U.S. in 2020, with Wisconsin having the worst rate nationally—double the previous year. “I’m demanding that we get an answer,” Stubbs declared. “I am demanding that we get justice. How many more victims do we need in this state before we do something?”

Stubbs was joined by Sheena Scarborough, the mother of 19-year-old Sade Robinson, who was murdered in 2024. “We are still dealing with ongoing trauma daily,” said Scarborough, who founded the Sade’s Voice Foundation to support families like hers. “The task force is definitely needed.”

The task force would examine systemic causes, improve data collection, review government response protocols, and propose policy changes to protect Black women and girls. Attorney General Josh Kaul emphasized that while there is interest and collaboration, “What we need is legislative will.” He added, “This is a really significant issue that takes the investment of time and resources... I want to see this done properly and right and that’s what this bill would do.”

Link: Wisconsin Examiner