Governor Bentley Details Impacts of the Legislature’s Proposed Cuts to the Department of Forensic Sciences

HUNTSVILLE–Governor Robert Bentley on Friday met with staff at the Huntsville Regional Laboratory to discuss the current budget crisis in the General Fund and the impact to the Department of Forensic Sciences if the Legislature’s severe cuts are enacted.

“We are facing a tremendous crisis in our General Fund Budget that will impact every Alabama County if not addressed by the Legislature,” Governor Robert Bentley said. “I am committed to finding new revenue so our state agencies can continue to provide essential services to Alabamians. For decades, we have failed to address the way our non-education state agencies are funded. With no one-time money available to support the General Fund and debts that are owed, we have a real crisis on our hands. I encourage Alabamians to let their elected representatives know that these cuts are unacceptable.”

The Alabama Legislature is considering a proposal that deeply cuts funding for state services. Each state agency was created by law to provide specific services to taxpayers. If enacted, these cuts will put the state in a position incapable of providing many of the essential services of government.

Cuts specific to the Department of Forensic Sciences:

• Closure of the Huntsville Regional Laboratory and Morgue.
          •  This action would immediately affect 22 of the most northern counties in Alabama requiring them to transport their decedents to Montgomery.
          •  Local and county governments will see an increase in transportation costs.

• Elimination of toxicology services in non-criminal traffic related death cases.
          •  This will affect all Alabama counties and those who require an ADFS death certificate to claim death benefits.
          •  Will no longer perform toxicological analyses on suicides, natural and accidental deaths, and traffic fatalities of a non-criminal nature.

• Elimination of testing on fire debris and arson cases.
          •  This will affect all Alabama counties and will require law enforcement and the State Fire Marshall to submit fire debris evidence to private laboratories or the Federal
          •  Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms (ATF) for analyses and shoulder the financial burden of analysis and testimony costs.

• Loss of highly skilled personnel, resulting in even longer wait times and increasing backlog.

• Implementation of state layoff procedures to department personnel as needed.

“Now is the time for real solutions to address our budget challenges. I was elected to solve problems, and I urge members of the Legislature to work with me to put this state on a successful path forward. I applaud the House GOP Caucus for agreeing with me that tax increases are needed to address the revenue shortfall in the General Fund. However, their proposal raises only a portion of the needed revenues for state agencies to operate on October 1. By working together, we can make Alabama better for future generations,” Bentley added.