Budget panel approves adding 31 DNA analysts to cut backlog
(Published Thursday, March 1, 2007 10:11:50 AM CST)
A d v e r t i s e m e n t
By Scott Bauer Associated Press
MADSION, Wis. - In an effort to speed up the testing of DNA samples at the state crime labs, the Legislature's budget committee Wednesday approved funding for 31 additional analysts and lab workers.
That would go beyond Gov. Jim Doyle's proposal to add 15 but is in line with what Republican Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen said would be enough to eliminate the backlog by 2010.
The proposal goes to the Democratic-controlled Senate and Republican-led Assembly. It would have to be approved by both houses and signed by Doyle to become law.
Matt Canter, a spokesman for Doyle, said the governor supports adding the 31 analysts. A spokesmen for Van Hollen did not immediately return a message seeking comment Wednesday evening.
Under the bill advanced by the Joint Finance Committee on a unanimous vote, $4 million would be provided to start hiring 15 analysts immediately. Funding for another 16 would be provided in the next state budget, which takes effect July 1.
Van Hollen told lawmakers at a Feb. 15 hearing that if he could get the 31 workers on board by July 1, the DNA backlog could be eliminated by 2010.
Joint Finance Committee Co-Chair Rep. Kitty Rhoades, R-Hudson, said adding the 31 DNA analysts was a "huge step forward" toward solving the problem.
"We'll get caught up and this won't happen again," she said.
Wisconsin finished 2006 with evidence in 1,785 cases waiting for DNA tests, up from 478 in 2003, according to the Department of Justice. The state crime labs took in evidence in 2,226 cases last year, up 85 percent from 2003, according to the DOJ data.
DNA evidence can be the key to convicting criminals and can break unsolved cases wide open by identifying previously unknown suspects. Delays in results can leave criminals free on the streets.
The money for the lab workers was added to a bill that makes changes to the current fiscal year, which ends June 30. The proposal also cuts $11 million from some of the largest state agencies and makes a variety of fund transfers and other changes to result in the state having $65 million in reserves.
The committee voted to reduce Doyle's proposed $4.1 million cut to the Department of Transportation to just $130,000.
Canter said the governor hoped the committee's 16-0 vote to advance the bill was a sign of bipartisanship that would continue through negotiations over the next two-year budget. The committee is evenly divided between Republicans and Democrats.
