Arizona Public Radio | Your Source for NPR News
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations
KNAU 88.7 is operating on impaired low power. APS has shut off power to our tower atop Mormon Mountain to service another radio station's meter. APS estimates full power will be restored around midnight Sunday evening/Monday morning.

KNAG 90.3 FM Grand Canyon is back on-air. Our engineers have repaired transmitter equipment on the ground but suspect the tower-mounted antenna may have sustained damage & are working to locate the problem; further repairs to come... Thanks so very much to our dedicated listeners in the region for their patience & support!

KNAU Arizona Public Radio is integrating new audio software into both news and classical services. We thank you for your patience and support through the transition.

State Bill Would Commission Study of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls

Jenni Monet/PBS News Hour

Arizona has the third highest number of missing and murdered indigenous women and girls in the U.S. A bill in the state legislature would commission a first-of-its kind study to show the causes and possible solutions to the epidemic. KNAU’s Ryan Heinsius reports. 

Authorities say existing data is lacking on missing and murdered indigenous women. No comprehensive study has ever been done statewide or on a national level, and the Arizona bill aims to fill in the information gaps of why violence against Native women is up to 10 times higher than the national average.

"The fact that we are just now first starting to talk about it in 2019 I think echoes the problem. This is something that has been happening in our country for centuries. Indigenous women have gone missing throughout the entire history of the United States," says Tempe Democrat Jennifer Jermaine who introduced the bill.

Human trafficking, sex trade and domestic violence are all contributing factors.  Jermaine says another major hurdle in understanding the full scope of the situation is poor communication between tribal, county, municipal and state law enforcement agencies. When the study is complete a task force will recommend legislation and other measures.

The Arizona bill was recently passed unanimously by the state House is now under consideration in the Senate. If it becomes law it would dovetail with an effort in the U.S. House to combat missing and murdered indigenous women on a federal level.

Ryan Heinsius joined the KNAU newsroom as executive producer in 2013 and was named news director and managing editor in 2024. As a reporter, he has covered a broad range of stories from local, state and tribal politics to education, economy, energy and public lands issues, and frequently interviews internationally known and regional musicians. Ryan is an Edward R. Murrow Award winner and a Public Media Journalists Association Award winner, and a frequent contributor to NPR's Morning Edition, All Things Considered and national newscast.
Related Content