The United States Constitution was discussed on the floor of the House of Representatives yesterday with regards to HB1403, which passed 92-23. Previously, I posted a debate between another intern and myself about the bill on the Civitas website. HB1403, entitled “Collect DNA Sample on Arrest,” was objected to on Fourth Amendment grounds as numerous legislators claimed that using a cheek swab to obtain DNA from individuals arrested for certain serious crimes was an “unreasonable search” that compromised the personal privacy of innocent people. The objection to the bill is a reasonable one, but bill supporters claim to have sufficient safeguards in the bill to ensure against privacy concerns.
What was most interesting yesterday was the discussion of the Constitution. It was nice to hear legislators discuss the constitutional limits on government power. If our legislators discussed the constitutionality of all legislation – both in Raleigh and in Washington, D.C. – it’s possible We The People would think more highly of them. Because it is such a great document, here is a link to the US Constitution.
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