NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — A Tennessee law born from tragedy is becoming part of a much bigger push to protect domestic violence victims.
Savanna's Law started with one mother's fight for answers. Now, Kim Dodson is teaming up with a domestic violence survivor to take that fight nationwide.
Savanna Puckett was 22 when she was killed by a man her mother says had a history of domestic violence. Her death led her mother to help create a public registry for repeat domestic violence offenders.
When I first spoke with Dodson in May, Tennessee's newly passed domestic violence offender registry was just beginning. Now, the law inspired by her daughter is gaining attention across the country.
"She would be very proud to know that, you know, she's still working here. She's still serving her community, her state now, because that's what that's who she was. She had a servant's heart," Dodson said.
Since then, Dodson has turned her grief into action, taking that fight nationwide.
"At that time there was only 12 states. Now we're up to 25 states that have it either proposed or will be proposed in the next session," Dodson said.
Now, country pop star Tonya Mitchell is joining the effort.
"We're trying to get this implement you know implemented everywhere because it's hard enough to get one conviction, but to get two, then you definitely need to be on a registry," Mitchell said.
A domestic violence survivor herself, Mitchell is using her music to raise awareness. Her award-winning music video, "Nobody Loves Me Like You," depicts the bruises victims carry, both visible and hidden.
"I was singing and writing on her behalf. It's the only song I've ever written. It's the only music video I've ever had. So, it's super powerful for me. And in the video, it shows you know the bruises and how they come and go, but they're still you know lasting effects," Mitchell said.
Now, she's using that platform to help spread awareness of Savanna's Law across the country.
"If everything I've done in my entire life has led up to this moment to save one person, it's all been worth it," Mitchell said.
For both women, it's about giving people information before it's too late.
"It's more of a proactive than a reactive, and it is a prevention tool… This is a prevention tool," Dodson said.
Dodson says she's already hearing from people across the country, and she's working with advocates and lawmakers to build support in more states.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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