Ohio SB 178 proposes task force for missing BIPOC women [Video]

TOLEDO, Ohio — Ohio Sen. Paula Hicks-Hudson introduced Senate Bill 178 (SB 178) during a press conference at the Ohio Statehouse on Wednesday, calling for the creation of a task force dedicated to addressing the disappearance and exploitation of Black, Indigenous and people of color (BIPOC) women and girls across the state.

Joined by victim advocates and community leaders, Sen. Hicks-Hudson stated that the bill aims to address systemic disparities in how these missing person cases are handled.

“We must have accurate and equal enforcement and opportunities for all of our children, all of our girls, regardless of their race or their creed or color,” Hicks-Hudson said during the press conference.

According to the U.S. Department of Justice, Black women and girls made up 36% of all missing women and children in 2022, despite only …