What do you do when you don't have the funding to address a perpetual backlog of unanalyzed rape kits? Ask drivers to foot the bill when applying for a driver's license:
Across the country, there's a backlog of kits containing potential evidence of sexual assaults. Victim advocates say the situation threatens public safety. Lawmakers in dozens of states are pushing for funding, and in Texas, one state representative has offered an innovative solution.
Thousands of rape kits sit sealed and untested in forensics labs and law enforcement offices in Texas. What's missing is state and local funding to pay to analyze the evidence in many of those kits.
If state Rep. Victoria Neave has her way, residents could help chip in. When Texans go to the Department of Public Safety office to apply for a driver's license, they'd be asked if they'd like to help the state pay to test DNA evidence from sexual assault cases — in the same way they're asked if they want to donate to support veterans or organ donation.
(Score: 2) by sjames on Thursday April 13 2017, @10:46PM (1 child)
Agreed. I'll bet they wouldn't be interested in trashing all their drug tests until they catch up on the rape kits either.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday April 14 2017, @12:17AM
https://soylentnews.org/article.pl?sid=17/01/27/0328204 [soylentnews.org]