WISCONSIN CAMPAIGN FOR LIBERTY
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 9, 2013
Assembly Speaker Vos Also Supports Seizure of DNA
Governor Walker and Assembly Speaker Robin Vos have proposed the idea of treating persons not convicted of anything the same as criminals. That two conservative leaders in power in Wisconsin would support a notion so contrary to our Bill of Rights is extremely unfortunate and confusing. It seems Governor Walker and Speaker Vos need to hear from the good people of Wisconsin that this is not a good proposal.
Yet another seriously flawed item in the proposed Wisconsin budget, this measure spends $6,000,000 to expand DNA collection for a permanent database. It provides that anyone arrested, not convicted, but simply arrested for a felony would be forced to submit their DNA for a government database. It would also have government forcefully collecting DNA for conviction of ANY crime whatsoever. There is no legitimate purpose for such a measure.
In the Fourth Amendment we Americans assert our right “to be secure” in our “persons, houses, papers, and effects…” Nothing is more personal than our DNA. There is no legitimate purpose for government to collect our DNA simply for being arrested, even for a felony charge. Walker and Vos need to be reminded of the difference between arrest and the concept of the presumption of innocence until being found guilty by a jury of our peers. We must preserve the right to a trial before we should be treated like a criminal.
The proposal allows that anyone who would be arrested and subsequently acquitted to “ask” to have their DNA removed from the database. But a free person in a free country does not have to “ask” to have their most intimate personal information removed from government databases, where it should not have been to begin with.
Todd Welch called on every Wisconsin citizen to call Governor Walker, Speaker Vos, and their State Representative to remind them about the presumption of innocence, and the notion of consequences being proportionate to an offense. "They need to be reminded that arrest, even for a felony does not justify the state seizing our DNA. Let them know that spending our tax dollars to check the DNA of petty criminals is a waste of valuable resources. Tell them to remove the expansion of DNA collection from the budget bill." Welch said.
Wisconsin Campaign for Liberty called on citizens to take action now and urges them to call and email their state legislators and remind them and Governor Walker about the Fourth Amendment and the presumption of innocence until found guilty.
Wisconsin Campaign for Liberty's mission is to promote and defend the great American principles of individual liberty, constitutional government, sound money, and free markets by means of educational and political activity.
For more information, contact Todd Welch, State Coordinator, Wisconsin Campaign for Liberty at (715) 797-3048 orTodd.Welch@campaignforliberty.com
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