BRB - Criminal Justice

This one, HB2787, contains a particularly rancid bit of ugliness.

The bill includes language that would require anybody who is arrested for any reason to submit a DNA sample to be included in the state's DNA profile database. Not only that, but it makes failure to submit a sample a violation of bail. Lastly, in the event that charges are dropped or the defendant is acquitted, it places the burden of petitioning the state to remove their DNA profile from the database on the exonerated defendant.

Contrast this with the lege's zeal at repealing the ignition interlock device provisions of the law for those convicted of DUI.

Am I the only one who sees the disconnect here?

I don't know who slipped the language into the bill, but they should be hanging their heads in shame right about now.

I have a suggestion for the lege the next time they come up with some legislation that they think is so wonderful - replace the name of whatever group they are targeting with the phrase "any person who holds elective office."

If the new language then is something that they are uncomfortable with, maybe they should reconsider foisting it off on the rest of us.

Anyway, kudos to the two Democrats who voted against this bill, Reps. Kyrsten Sinema and Tom Prezelski.

Not to be lost in the stench of the DNA provision is the the part of the bill that continues the never-ending quest by the Republicans to incarcerate society and to privatize that incarceration.

The language calls for the construction of facilities for 6000 more prison beds. In addition, it mandates that a full third of those beds be controlled by private, for profit, imprisonment vendors.

Ugh.

Yup, with nothing really good to balance the badness, this BRB is definitely the worst of the bunch.

More later...