Nahum’s Law backed by congresswoman
“I know I’ll be a law someday, at least I hope and pray that I will, but today I am still just a bill…”
Brooke Lopez is a senior who hopes to one day become a lawyer but while she waits to pursue her dream, she’s making this schoolhouse rock.
Nahum’s law was first started when fallen Raider Nahum Martinez’s murderers were charged as minors. This angered Lopez and made her feel like it was her duty to advocate his justice.
The first step to proposing Nahum’s Law began with research to discover if another law existed that was along the same line as Nahum’s.
Nahum’s Law states that “persons charged as minors with a violent crime involving a firearm lose the privilege to have their record expunged at the age of 18.”
Lopez contacted lawyers and judges throughout North Texas to gain power behind her case. She continued on to contact state legislators and obtain advocacy signatures.
“You won’t find many teenagers willing to put so much time and effort into something like this,” Geography Teacher, and Lopez’s UIL advisor, Ms. Jessica Taylor said.
Advocacy letters are written descriptions by an individual in support of the law. When she traveled to Austin, instead of having citizens accompany her, Lopez brought the letters on their behalf.
“Things people can do to help is write letters of advocacy and bring them to me stating they agree with our cause, preferably if they’re older than 18,” Lopez said. “Other than that, we use social media to help spread our word.”
Lopez states that the Martinez family has shared with her a plethora of gratitude. Nahum’s parents exclaim that justice is needed in this broken community.
“Nahum and I were good friends and we talked just about every day,” Lopez said. “I love them like a second family.”
Recently, Congresswoman Jodie Laubenberg officially announced her intended sponsorship of Nahum’s Law for the 2015 Texas Congressional Session. As of March, Lopez has worked with Laubenberg’s office to create a final bill that will be announced in early 2015 in Austin.
“Since I was little, I’ve been taught that a compass always points North but a compass doesn’t show the valleys and mountains we must pass through to get to our destination,” Lopez said. “True, North can only be witnessed through experience. I would have never known how our journey would’ve been unless I had taken the first step; it was well worth it.”
Sophomore Allie Estrella has assisted Lopez with getting the bill passed and has seen opposition stating that this is a method of gun control.
“I understand the difficulty with people believing the law is ‘gun control’. I’m trying to have more people support the law,” Estrella said. “I’m thankful for carrying on the legacy Brooke created.”
Texas congressional sessions take place every two years. All Texas congressmen take a handful of grievances from their district, write a bill, and persuade their fellow congress people to vote in their favor. If the bill gets passed, it will be turned into an official state law. Congresswoman Laubenberg, representative of district 89, has chosen to represent Nahum’s Law.
“A few finishing touches must be made to the final draft of the bill but now we wait for session and hope Texas Congress believes in our case,” senior Lopez said.
