Pansing Brooks, Flood Disagree on Mass Shooting Alert Bill

LINCOLN, NE (July 15, 2022) – One day after being sworn in to Congress, First District Nebraska Representative Mike Flood voted against a bipartisan bill to establish an Amber Alert-like network for emergencies involving active shooters. The bill passed the House Wednesday night with support from 43 Republicans in addition to Democrats.

Congressional candidate Patty Pansing Brooks said the vote provides a complete contrast between Mike Flood and her.

“I am beyond disappointed that for one of his first official votes, my opponent ignored the advice of law enforcement and voted against a bill to help people stay safe during an active shooting,” Pansing Brooks said. “This vote perfectly illustrates the difference between Mike Flood and me.”

In response, Flood issued the following statement:

“As a broadcaster with a vast amount of experience in emergency communications, I know that the Active Shooter Alert Act is redundant and likely has ulterior motives. There already exists an emergency alert system which is used to send various kinds of public safety alerts, including alerts regarding active shooters. Republicans offered to study the issue before moving forward, Democrats weren’t interested. Not only would this new system be redundant, it also defines an active shooter situation very broadly.”

H.R. 6538 proposes setting up procedures to guide the use of mass alert systems to “facilitate the efficient issuance of active shooter alerts and other key information to local residents, motorists, travelers and individuals in the vicinity of an active shooter.”

According to its sponsor, Congressman David N. Cicilline (RI-01), “The Active Shooter Alert Act is endorsed by National Sheriff’s Association, Major Cities Chiefs Associations, National Association of Police Organizations, Fraternal Order of Police (FOP), National Police Foundation, and National District Attorneys Association.”

“In this epidemic of mass shootings, it is unimaginable that anyone would oppose legislation to alert people about an active shooter in their vicinity,” Pansing Brooks said. “My opponent’s vote on this bill is another example of the lock-step partisanship that is tearing this country apart and it’s why I am running.”

Flood said he believes the Democrats sponsored the bill for different reasons:

“The public would begin receiving alerts every time there’s a discharge of a firearm, which has the likely intended effect of causing people to live in fear of “mass shootings” that are not actually mass shootings at all. Rather than addressing the underlying issues that lead to these awful tragedies, the Democrats would prefer to convince the public that guns are the problem—that’s the true intent of this legislation.”

After passage in the House, the bill goes to the Senate for consideration.