Wisconsin Rep. Ron Kind was the only Democrat to vote against a bill Wednesday that seeks to create an active shooter communications network.
The bill, called the Active Shooter Alert Act, cleared the House on a 260-169 vote, with Kind the only Democrat to join Republicans in opposing the measure.
Forty-three Republicans opposed the GOP leadership’s recommendation and voted for the measure. Two Democrats did not vote.
The Hill reached out to Kind for a statement on why he voted against the bill.
Kind was one of two Democrats, along with Rep. Jared Golden (Maine), who last year voted against a bill to close a loophole in firearms background checks.
In a 2019 tweet marking the one-year anniversary of the Parkland school shooting, Kind advocated for “common sense gun safety measures.”
“Taking action against gun violence and respecting Second Amendment rights are not mutually exclusive,” he wrote. “Only by working together on this can we prevent these mass shootings.”
Legislation passed Wednesday calls for an active shooter alert communications network to notify people when there is an active shooter in their neighborhood. It has been likened to the Amber Alert system.
The House of Representatives initially voted on the bill last month under adjournment — the fast-track process that allows measures to pass quickly if they have two-thirds support in the chamber. However, the active shooter bill fell short of that threshold, failing to pass by a score of 259-162.
Kind was also the only Democrat to vote against the bill in that case, joining 161 Republicans in opposition. Forty-four Republicans supported the measure in that vote.
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After the bill failed, Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) vowed to bring it up again. On Wednesday, however, the legislation passed after passing through the House Rules Committee. A simple majority was required for adoption.
The bill requires an official from the Department of Justice, selected by the attorney general, to serve as the national coordinator of the communications network. The officer will be tasked with urging federal, state, tribal, and local government agencies to implement an active shooter response plan and to report on the effectiveness of the program in areas where it is implemented.
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