Palin had Rape Victims Charged for Rape Kit & Exam Here's an story about the former Democratic Governor of Alaska signing a bill forbidding police departments from sending rape victims a bill. Sarah Palin was Mayor of Wasilla at the time. The Police Chief of Wasilla, quoted below, is a guy she hired. She was his boss.

Ask yourself as you read this from Palin's hometown newspaper, 'Would a hands-on autocratic mayor of a small town allow her Chief of Police to advocate against legislation in the media without her consent and approval?'

The new law makes it illegal for any law enforcement agency to bill victims or victims insurance companies for the costs of examinations that take place to collect evidence of a sexual assault or determine if a sexual assault did occur.

We would never bill the victim of a burglary for fingerprinting and photographing the crime scene, or for the cost of gathering other evidence, Knowles said. Nor should we bill rape victims just because the crime scene happens to be their bodies.

While the Alaska State Troopers and most municipal police agencies have covered the cost of exams, which cost between $300 to $1,200 apiece, the Wasilla police department does charge the victims of sexual assault for the tests.

Wasilla Police Chief Charlie Fannon does not agree with the new legislation, saying the law will require the city and communities to come up with more funds to cover the costs of the forensic exams.

In the past weve charged the cost of exams to the victims insurance company when possible. I just dont want to see any more burden put on the taxpayer, Fannon said.

Let's repeat that last line again -

I just dont want to see any more burden put on the taxpayer, Fannon said.

That's not a civil servant talking, that's his elected boss.

Nothing I have seen up to this point in the campaign has made me physically ill and visibly angry - until now.

(via Feministing)  ¶ 10:40 PM