NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — An amendment to fund the Tennessee Bureau of Investigations resources to expedite rape kits came before Tennessee lawmakers on Wednesday. They voted on party lines to not include that.
The Republican supermajority rejected the amendment to the budget process brought up Rep. Antonio Parkinson, D-Memphis. House Speaker Cameron Sexton only gave him one minute to speak before cutting off his microphone mid-sentence. Parkinson's amendment had $16.2 million to fully fund TBI's needs to test rape kits in a timely manner. This happened as a result of the amendment being untimely filed.
Parkinson's bill, HB0104/SB0014, was signed by the speaker and lieutenant governor, but it's been placed behind the budget, meaning lawmakers won't fully consider it until the budget is set. Parkinson, D-Memphis, expressed his frustration that the bill may not receive that funding. The same situation happened to Parkinson in 2014 with the same legislation. Right now, it takes 33 weeks on average to process a kit, according to the TBI.
The Memphis legislator brought it up again this year after the Eliza Fletcher case happened in Memphis, where the person accused of her murder was matched to DNA from an untested rape kit. Parkinson argued Fletcher's life could have been spared had the test been conducted in a timely manner.
The fiscal impact of the bill was listed as not significant. As explained, the impact would total $4.5 million for the 2023-2024 budget.
"She died a horrible death no one should witness. Her death could have been avoided," Parkinson said.
No other legislators said a word.
