JFC Scales Back New Crime Lab Analysts for the State Department of Justice
Friday, June 7th, 2019 -- 10:48 AM
(AP) -The Legislature’s budget-writing committee has voted to scale back the number of new crime lab analysts Gov. Tony Evers wanted to give the state Department of Justice in the state budget.Evers’ state budget would supply $1.6 million over the next two years to fund 14 additional positions at the crime labs, including 5 DNA analysts, three crime scene examiners, three toxicologists, two firearm analysts and one evidence examiner. Republicans who control the committee on Thursday approved spending $722,400 to fund 7.4 new positions, including 2.6 DNA analysts, 1.6 toxicologists, a firearms analyst and an evidence examiner.
They also cut $2.5 million for DOJ’s Legal Services Division, which handles consumer and environmental protection cases, and dropped Evers’ proposal to add three digital forensic analysts to help local police departments. The committee passed the changes on a 12-4 vote, with all four Democrats voting against the moves.
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