A couple of proposals to make it easier to track down missing children by issuing Amber Alerts throughout the state have caught the attention of the State Senate. State senators on the Pensions and General Rules Committee have heard arguments on how and why the Amber Alert system should be run in the state. Steve McBride with the Kansas City branch office of the Center for Missing and Exploited Children says any plan needs to be voluntary for all parties involved. Others testifying before the Senate committee agree any system should not be forced on communities and local practices should not be abandoned. Senator Mary Bland of Kansas City, the sponsor of one of the measures, says she only wants to better integrate the systems. Senator Chuck Gross of St. Charles, the sponsor of the other Amber Alert bill, warns any system must not be used so often people fail to pay attention when it is the real thing.
