A bill that sponsors say will help protect victims of domestic violence is moving forward. Supporters say the sudden urgency behind the bill is likely because of the attention on Gabby Petito, who is suspected to have been killed by her boyfriend and left in a national park after a history of domestic violence incidents. Statehouse correspondent Andy Chow reports.
The bill's sponsor, Democratic Representative Janine Boyd, says doing a lethality assessment and connecting a victim with services right when police are at a domestic violence call can be crucial in preventing violence from escalating.
"The more support we can get at the call, at the moment law enforcement is engaged, the better and the more likely the survivor is able to get through the steps of the protocol that are established in Aisha's law."
The bill is named after Aisha Fraser, who was murdered in 2018 by her ex-husband, former state legislator Lance Mason.
Boyd says Petito’s murder has put a spotlight on the bill. Police in Utah were called to the scene of an altercation between Petito and her boyfriend shortly before she went missing.
