Savanna Greywind was 22-years-old and 8 months pregnant when she was murdered in 2017.

In the year since, her story has become the face of the fight against the violence towards Native American women — women that also go missing at an alarming rate. It’s an epidemic of violence in the United States that has inspired the bill S.1942, also known as Savanna’s Act, championed by outgoing Democratic senator from North Dakota, Heidi Heitkamp. After a unanimous Senate passing vote, however, things have stalled out and the bill may be dead. But why, and why now?

Before we get into all that, let’s break down what Savanna’s Act is all about, how it passed, and the politics that have led to its current state.

What is Savanna's Act, the US Law protecting indigenous women that's now in jeopardy?