Currently in Pennsylvania DNA samples are only taken from people who are guilty of extremely heinous crimes, such as rape or homicide. But, under this new bill people convicted of many lesser crimes, such as recording in a movie theater, will also have their DNA sampled.
The Pennsylvania chapter of the ACLU oppose the bill, saying that it is only an example of big government getting even bigger. According to them, everyone should feel safe in their own body, even if they are arrested. But, civil liberties aren’t the only concern of the bill. According to watchdog.org:
The ACLU believes the legislation, if enacted, would quadruple the workload for the state police DNA lab.
“The state police don’t have the resources to process quickly the DNA samples they get now. Flooding that system with DNA samples that we have no reason to expect will ever help us solve a crime is just short-sighted,” Roper said.
Pennsylvania started collecting DNA samples for select felonies in 1996 and has one DNA lab. The database houses about 330,000 samples. About 5,000 — or 1.5 percent — of the samples have been used to identify a suspect and solve a crime, said Maria Finn, press secretary for Pennsylvania State Police.
Expanding the DNA collection law would “increase workload greatly” for a lab that’s already limited in capacity, Finn said. State police would need more workers and a larger facility, she said.
To ease the transition, Pileggi noted that new collection provisions would be phased in over time, starting with criminal homicide, then felony sex offenses and then other crimes.
According to a fiscal analysis of the bill, state police expect 500 additional DNA samples would be collected in the first year after the legislation is enacted, and the cost could be absorbed with current financial resources.
But the second phase of the legislation would result in collecting and processing 5,000 more DNA samples, costing $586,500 for personnel, supplies and equipment, according to the analysis.
That analysis was silent on the cost of third phase of implementation but noted federal grants could cover the expenses.
Finn says Gov. Tom Wolf’s administration is opposed to the legislation, which has passed the Senate in various forms three times but has stalled in the House.
What do you think? Is this new bill an example of statist overreach or is it a necessary step to ensure the safety of Pennsylvania’s citizens?
Source: Watchdog
Back in the day I used to read everything I could get my hands on. Even the stupid cereal box.
I probably would have been a pretty good engineer if my parents weren’t junkies, but that is a rant for another day.
I see this world we are living in and I question why you people can’t see it?
Is it because you watch commercials and really think you have a chance at getting a Lexus, Beyonce’s butt, and Call of Duty is real? (Might be real look up “subliminal advertising”)
(For giggles I googled “Beyonce’s butt” https://www.google.com/search?q=Beyonsys%20butt%20…)
How can you look at this world we live in and not just say…?
“Hey wait a minute this doesn’t make sense”.
There is 90 million acres of desert just begging for solar panels. Not to mention the inherent energy in m$#%&!@*… ( once you get something moving it is really easy to keep it moving…)
Electricity = water. Water = food. Food = education. (Send me a message and i will freaking explain it to you.)
We live in a world where a CEO makes 30 million bucks for showing up at a game of Golf and “talking business”.
We live in a world where thirty-thousand kids died today due to preventable causes… Food, and freaking medicine.… But you know, we have to care about ours selves first…
We live in a world where you KNOW how your phone is made… And you don’t care.
(They put suicide prevention netting on the building where the children work that make your phone… Look it up.)
We live in a world where a man that built a hundred MILLION dollar building was able to build it because you believe there is a monster out to get you and the only way you get to save yourself or EVEN GET to see your loved ones after death is if you believe what this guy is saying (all you need to do is give him tax-free money)
We live in a world where we are so afraid thanks to the 6 international corporations that own 85% of the ENTIRE PLANETS MEDIA from Hunger Games to Naked and Afraid to msnbc TO Fox News…..You don’t care that we Americans blew up an entire wedding… To get one guy.
You don’t care that in other countries (Germany) the police force for an entire year only had to fire 99 bullets… We put 99 bullets in one guy.
Electricity = water. Water = food. Food = education. (Send me a message and i will freaking explain it to you.)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OYLbPoj3fRY GET OFF THE COUCH!!!
Because…fascism! They wanna spend tax $ and expand the surveillance police state
Just like East Germany before the wall came down wake the hell up America