CNN's front page leads to a lovely article about Palin and her state's ridiculous practice of charging rape victims for the collection of sexual assault kits.
Finally, in mid-2000, a bill was passed which was sponsored by a state representative.
Before then, many Alaskan towns were charging rape and sexual assault victims for the practice of taking evidence. More often than not, this procedure involves invasive medical procedures. Forcing victims to pay for it could be deemed another form of rape.
When the bill was written, as mentioned, many towns charged victims or their insurance companies. At the time, such procedures could cost up to $1000.
You really want a victim to first pay emotionally for the act of violence against him or her and then to pay again literally?
The most vocal opponent of the bill? Wasilla Police Chief Charlie Fannon.
The Wasilla Frontiersman at the time of the bill passing, quoted Fannon as saying "the new law will cost the Wasilla Police Department approximately $5,000 to $14,000 a year to collect evidence."
Palin was mayor of Wasilla from 1996 to 2002. There are no quotes from her on the matter to be found as of yet, however, it remains highly improbable that she knew nothing of the bill or even the chief's blatant anger toward it. In fact, her deputy mayor, Judy Patrick, spoke with CNN about that period of time in the state.
"The bigger picture of what was going on at the time was that the state was trying to cut their own budget, and one of the things that they were doing was passing on costs to cities, and that was one of the many things that they were passing on, the cost to the city," said Patrick, according to CNN.
NOTES: On salon.com: "And now, according to wire reports, all states will next year be required to pay for the kits in order to continue receiving funding under the federal Violence Against Women Act, which helps support women's shelters and relevant law enforcement training."
Article on feministe about the same issue.
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