ANCHORAGE , Alaska ( CNN ) -- Alaska Gov . Sarah Palin 's hometown required women to pay for their own rape examinations while she was mayor , a practice her police chief fought to keep as late as 2000 . A former Alaskan lawmaker says it seems unlikely that Gov . Sarah Palin was unaware of Wasilla 's policy . Former state Rep. Eric Croft , a Democrat , sponsored a state law requiring cities to provide the examinations free of charge to victims . He said the only ongoing resistance he met was from Wasilla , where Palin was mayor from 1996 to 2002 . `` It was one of those things everyone could agree on except Wasilla , '' Croft told CNN . `` We could n't convince the chief of police to stop charging them . '' Alaska 's Legislature in 2000 banned the practice of charging women for rape exam kits -- which experts said could cost up to $ 1,000 . Palin , the Republican nominee for vice president , often talks about her experience running Wasilla , population approximately 7,000 , and that has prompted close scrutiny of her record there . Wasilla 's practice of charging victims for their rape exams while she was mayor has gotten wide circulation on the Internet and in the mainstream media . Watch CNN 's Jessica Yellin check the facts in Wasilla » . Some supporters of Palin say they believe she had no knowledge of the practice . But critics call it `` outrageous '' and question Palin 's commitment to helping women who are the victims of violence . For years , Alaska has had the worst record of any state in rape and in murder of women by men . The rape rate in Alaska is 2.5 times the national average . Interviews and a review of records turned up no evidence that Palin knew that rape victims were being charged in her town . But Croft , the former state representative who sponsored the law changing the practice , says it seems unlikely Palin was not aware of the issue . `` I find it hard to believe that for six months a small town , a police chief , would lead the fight against a statewide piece of legislation receiving unanimous support and the mayor not know about it , '' Croft said . During the time Palin was mayor of Wasilla , her city was not the only one in Alaska charging rape victims . Experts testified before the Legislature that in a handful of small cities across Alaska , law enforcement agencies were charging victims or their insurance `` more than sporadically . '' One woman who wrote in support of the legislation says she was charged for her rape exam by a police department in the city of Juneau , which is hundreds of miles from Wasilla . But Wasilla stood out . Tara Henry , a forensic nurse who has been treating rape victims across Alaska for the last 12 years , told CNN that opposition to Croft 's bill from Wasilla Police Chief Charlie Fannon was memorable . `` Several municipal law enforcement agencies in the state did have trouble budgeting and paying for the evidence collection for sexual assault victims , '' Henry said . `` What I recall is that the chief of police in the Wasilla police department seemed to be the most vocal about how it was going to affect their budget . '' Croft has a similar memory . He said victims ' advocates suggested he introduce legislation as a way to shame cities into changing their practice , and Wasilla resisted . `` I remember they had continued opposition , '' Croft said . `` It was eight years ago now , but they were sort of unrepentant that they thought the taxpayers should n't have to pay for that . '' He does not recall discussing the issue with then-Mayor Palin . The bill , HB270 , was before the legislature for six months . In testimony , one expert called the practice of billing the victim `` incomprehensible . '' Others compared it to `` dust [ ing ] for fingerprints '' after a burglary , only `` the victim 's body is the crime scene . '' During a rape exam , the victim removes her clothing and a medical professional gathers DNA evidence from her body . There is also a medical component to assess her injuries . That component has led some law enforcement agencies to balk at paying . Henry , the forensic nurse , said charging victims `` retraumatizes them . '' `` Asking them to pay for something law enforcement needs in order to investigate their case , it 's almost like blaming them for getting sexually assaulted , '' she said . The Alaska Legislature agreed . The bill passed unanimously with the support of the Alaska Department of Public Safety , the Alaska Peace Officers Association and more than two dozen co-sponsors . After it became law , Wasilla 's police chief told the local paper , The Frontiersman , that it would cost the city $ 5,000 to $ 14,000 a year -- money that he 'd have to find . `` In the past , we 've charged the cost of the exams to the victim 's insurance company when possible , '' Fannon was quoted as saying . `` I just do n't want to see any more burden on the taxpayer . '' He suggested the criminals should pay as restitution if and when they 're convicted . Repeated attempts to reach Fannon for comment were unsuccessful . Judy Patrick , who was Palin 's deputy mayor and friend , blames the state . `` The bigger picture of what was going on at the time was that the state was trying to cut their own budget , and one of the things that they were doing was passing on costs to cities , and that was one of the many things that they were passing on , the cost to the city , '' said Patrick , who recalls enormous pressure to keep the city 's budget down . But the state was never responsible for paying the costs of local investigations . Patrick was also a member of Wasilla City Council , and she does n't recall the issue coming before council members , nor does she remember discussing the issue with Palin . She does recall Palin going through the budget in detail . She said Palin would review each department 's budget line by line and send it back to department heads with her changes . `` Sarah is a fiscal conservative , and so she had seen that the city was heading in a direction of bigger projects , costing taxpayers more money , and she was determined to change that , '' Patrick said . Before Palin came to City Hall , the Wasilla Police Department paid for rape kits out of a fund for miscellaneous costs , according to the police chief who preceded Fannon and was fired by Palin . That budget line was cut by more than half during Palin 's tenure , but it did not specifically mention rape exams . In a statement , Jill Hazelbaker , communications director for Sen. John McCain 's presidential campaign , said that `` to imply that Gov . Palin is or has ever been an advocate of charging victims for evidence gathering kits is an utter distortion of reality . '' `` As her record shows , Gov . Palin is committed to supporting victims and bringing violent criminals to justice , '' Hazelbaker said . `` She does not , nor has she ever believed that rape victims should have to pay for an evidence gathering test . '' Those who fought the policy are unconvinced . `` It 's incomprehensible to me that this could be a rogue police chief and not a policy decision . It lasted too long and it was too high-profile , '' Croft said . The rape kit charges have become an issue among Palin critics who say as governor she has not done enough to combat Alaska 's epidemic problem of violence against women . They point to a small funding increase for domestic violence shelters at a time when Alaska has a multibillion-dollar budget surplus . Victims ' advocates say that services are lacking and that Palin cut funding for a number of programs that treat female victims of violence . In the past week , Alaska 's challenges with sexual assault have been in the spotlight again -- in connection with an ongoing inquiry into whether Palin abused her power by firing the head of Alaska 's Department of Public Safety . Palin 's office released e-mails showing that one area of disagreement between her and Department of Public Safety Commissioner Walt Monegan was his lobbying in Washington for $ 30 million to fund a new program of sexual assault response teams . The McCain-Palin campaign insists that fighting domestic violence and sexual assault are priorities for Palin . And they say she has been looking at other programs to support . As governor , Palin approved a funding increase for domestic violence shelters -- $ 266,200 over two years . And she reauthorized a Council on Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault .
While Sarah Palin was governor , she interviewed victims for their medical exams . Interviews , analysis of documents show no evidence Palin knew victims were charged . Former state representative says it is unlikely Palin was not aware of issue .