LETTER: Our Alaska legislators in Juneau have come together and agreed on something good... at last.

Senators,

HB-214, the bill to officially name Bree's Law education in statute, I am told has more support by the Alaska Legislature than any other bill. With 100% approval in the House, 14 Senate sponsors, and supported by Governor Bill Walker, that's 55 out of 61 total elected officials. It is now up to our 20 Senators. Right? Surely this bill will pass...

Nope, Not so fast... yes don't get too excited just yet. This bill is now being stopped by one Senator who wants to spoil everyone's fun, rain on the parade and yet once again, shine the light on the fact that regardless if everyone in the state agrees on one thing, he will certainly be the one to stop it. Apparently this one Senator wants to spread discord and when somebody says, "Can't we all just get along?" And we do... there is John Coghill waiting to spoil It for all of us.

Yes, HB-214, is being stopped by one Senator, John Coghill, who will not give it a hearing.

In 2015, Cindy and I started with Bree's Law that eventually was named the Alaska Safe Children's Act. HB-214, will add the words, "Bree's Law" back. Since that time we have been supported by and working to reduce teen dating violence with parents, teachers, students, legislators, the State of Alaska and various organizations/agencies some of whom include; Abused Woman's Aid In Crisis (AWAIC), Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium (ANTHC), Anchorage School District (ASD), Southcentral Foundation, Alaska Network on Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault (ANDVSA), Victim's for Justice, The Council on Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault (CDVSA), Governor Bill Walker's office, The Department of Education and Early Development (DEED), along with many other schools and school districts.

The 2017 Alaska Youth Risk Behavior Survey reported teen dating violence and sexual assault numbers in Alaska dropped by 1,514 reported cases, nearly in half since the 2015 report.

What we are all doing with Bree's Law is working. Perhaps Bree's greatest accomplishment has come in her death, shedding a light on dating violence here in Alaska and all of us together to help prevent it.

There is NO downside to passing HB-214. There is NO fiscal note. There is NO funding needed. There is no money to talk about. There are only lives to be saved.

The one thing we have found throughout this process is that yes, there are people out there, claiming to be good people, who will make excuses for their actions, debate their motives and attempt to diminish the damage they cause.

They dig their heels in, only to explain away and defend, what at the end of the day is simply a bad decision. They will say bad things, because their hearts are, ... well, I don't know.

No, good people don’t stop life-saving legislation. And good people don’t defend people who do.

Do you want to stop abusing and killing women in Alaska?

You’re going to have to make a choice here.

Yep... There's gonna be a vote. And Alaskans will be watching.

— Butch Moore,

Bree's Dad