News and Music Discovery
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

House Panel Moves Bill to Take DNA After Arrest

The House Judiciary Committee has passed a bill that will require police to take DNA samples when they arrest people on felony charges. If the measure is approved by the full Legislature, Kentucky would join 25 other states that take DNA samples from felony arrestees.

The vote was unanimous and will proceed to the full House for consideration. Jefferson Democrat Mary Lou Marzian, who sponsored the bill, says federal grant money would be available to help cover startup costs, which would be between $1.3 and $1.6 million. She did not offer a figure for the ongoing costs of such a program.

About 40,000 people are arrested on felony charges each year in Kentucky. The U.S. Supreme Court will consider this year the constitutionality of arrestee DNA testing.

Whitney grew up listening to Car Talk to and from her family’s beach vacation each year, but it wasn’t until a friend introduced her to This American Life that radio really grabbed her attention. She is a recent graduate from Union University in Jackson, Tenn., where she studied journalism. When she’s not at WKMS, you can find her working on her backyard compost pile and garden, getting lost on her bicycle or crocheting one massive blanket.
Related Content