The anti-stalking law approved unanimously by the Kansas House last Friday landed in the office of the chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee Wednesday morning.
Sen. John Vratil, R-Leawood, committee chair, will decide when and if the bill will get a hearing before the committee, Sen. Greta Goodwin, D-Winfield, said. She is the ranking member of the Judiciary Committee.
“I’m assuming it probably will get a hearing. I know of no reason why it won’t be heard,” she said. “At that time, I’ll look at it carefully. I’m sure other members will do the same.”
The bill, known as “Jodi’s Law” was sponsored by Rep. Kasha Kelley, R-Arkansas City, following the brutal murder of Jodi Sanderholm last year. Local law enforcement officers testified that the current law is difficult to enforce.
“My only goal is to make the law stronger,” Kelley said. “I never was worried about it passing but I also knew it would take time working through the process.”
The Judiciary Committee’s agenda for the coming week is firmed on Wednesdays and posted on Thursdays, according to Helen Abramson, spokeswoman for Vratil.
“I knew I was going to have to be patient,” Kelley said. “It’s a very serious piece of legislation and I don’t want to rush it.”
An Arkansas City man charged with capital murder, rape, aggravated kidnapping and aggravated sodomy in Sanderholm’s death is believed by law enforcement officials to have stalked Sanderholm and other young women. Justin Thurber, 24, is scheduled to go on trial June 24. The state is seeking the death penalty.
“The new law is much more specific as regards to what stalking is. The penalty is also tougher,” Kelley said. “We have definitely worked hard on this. There is good, broad support for it.”
Over 300 bills have been introduced into the Senate Judiciary Committee this session. The committee meets daily. There is only about three weeks left before the session ends.
“We have huge issues up here that we’ve not even touched,” Goodwin said. “We have a comprehensive no smoking ban for the entire state of Kansas. We have immigration. We have school finance.
“We do have some very, very big issues before us,” she said.
The Senate Judiciary Committee is expected to vote next week on the bill that would ban smoking in most public places.
