By Lexi Oliver, Samantha O'Connor and Photojournalist: Josh Daley
Published: Jul. 27, 2022 at 10:13 PM EDT|Updated: Jul. 27, 2022 at 11:16 PM EDT
CHICOPEE, Mass. (WGGB/WSHM) - The mother of a Chicopee murder victim reached out to Western Mass News Wednesday, saying a state law she has been making efforts on has been stalled once again.
With the legislative session coming to a close in just a matter of days, she asked for our help getting answers from legislators.
Amanda Plasse’s family has been fighting to get “Amanda’s Law” passed for nearly a decade after Amanda was stabbed to death at her apartment and photos of her crime scene were allegedly passed around by responding officers.
With the session set to end Sunday, her family told us that they are at a standstill.
“Why can’t we get this passed?” Amanda’s sister, Aimee Lee Plasse, asked. “It makes no sense. We need accountability for when stuff like this happens.”
More than a decade after Amanda Plasse was murdered in Chicopee, her family is still fighting to get a law passed in her name.
“You start getting a little on the angrier side because the hope is kind of not there anymore,” Plasse said.
Plasse and her mom, Michelle Penna, told Western Mass News that responding officers took pictures of Amanda lying in a pool of blood and shared those photos with other people in the community.
“Her dignity wasn’t protected at all, at all,” Penna said.
Dubbed “Amanda’s Law,” the bill would ban first responders from taking and sharing unauthorized pictures of crime victims.
“We are supposed to be protected and served by these officers,” Plasse said, “and when there’s a victim that can’t speak for themselves, that’s when they need you the most. That’s when we need them the most.”
Penna and Plasse said that they have gathered signatures from the community, and every two years, they spend the day testifying before lawmakers. They told us that they do not know what else they can do.
“It takes like a whole year, and then we find out that on the 31st if it’s not through, it’s dead, and we have to start all over,” Plasse said.
However, they said that they are willing to do whatever it takes.
“If we need to, like, reword the law, that’s something we can revisit,” Plasse said. “We just need to work with these officials.”
Western Mass News caught up with State Senator John Velis to find out more about where the bill stands. He told us that they voted the bill favorably out of the judiciary committee back in March and he is not sure why it is not getting done.
“Let’s be honest, who could oppose this bill? Why would you oppose this bill? It’s just basic human decency,” Senator Velis said. “I think, and I hate saying this, it could just be falling victim, if you will, to the process where there’s 7,000 bills filed and not every one gets done, but that’s still not a valid reason.”
He said that he hopes legislators can get it on the governor’s desk by the end of the session, and he will continue to push for this bill to be passed for Penna and her family.
“She deserves this bill,” Senator Velis said. “Amanda deserves this bill.”
With a similar law passed almost immediately in California following the fatal helicopter crash that killed nine people, including basketball star Kobe Bryant, back in 2020, Penna is pleading with lawmakers to take action.
“Knowing that you have to prepare yourself and pour this heart wrenching, horrifying story into three minutes, testifying in an auditorium in front of hundreds of people that you don’t know… We don’t want to do it again,” Penna said. “We don’t want to do it again. We will, but we don’t want to do it again.”
We reached out to Representative Joseph Wagner, who sponsored the legislation. He said in a statement to Western Mass News, quote:
“H.1917, which would ban first responders from taking or sending images of crime victims except while performing in the line of duty, was passed by the House on March 14, 2022, and was referred to the Massachusetts State Senate where it remains. I am proud to have been the lead sponsor of this legislation. As we near the end of the legislative session, I am hopeful the Senate will take up this critical, common sense measure so that we may send it to the Governor for his signature.”
Western Mass News also reached out to Senator Adam Gomez, another supporter of Amanda’s Law. He told us, quote:
“The end of the legislative session is always very sporadic. Legislation is getting passed, moved between committees, and set aside at rapid speed. Oftentimes no-brainer legislation, like Amanda’s Law, can get lost in the shuffle in exchange for larger bills. In turn, those same bills can also be adopted alongside others at rapid speed - something that I hope happens in the case of Amanda’s Law. What Amanda and her loved ones went through is something that no one else should have to endure. I am hopeful that this bill will find its way to the Senate floor for a vote before Sunday, and if it does, I will be proud to stand in support and vote yes. I also want to recognize that Amanda’s mother, Michelle, has been a staunch and tireless advocate for her daughter to ensure that no other family has to experience what the Plasse’s did following the tragic loss of Amanda. Michelle is doing the necessary legwork to make sure this bill stays in people’s minds and hearts; I hope she is rewarded for those efforts by the passage of the bill.”
While Amanda’s family continues to wait on Beacon Hill, Senator Velis told us Wednesday that legislators reached an agreement on the Holyoke Soldiers Home Oversight and Governance Bill which would provide safeguards to prevent a tragedy, like the COVID-19 outbreak in 2020, from happening again. He said that it will be voted on Thursday or Friday.
Meanwhile, he said that 7 bills are currently in conference committees, including one regarding sports betting in the Commonwealth, and he expects a lot of movement from now through Sunday night.
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