South Carolina – Page 5 – National Freedom of Information Coalition

Bill would require release of autopsy reports related to cause of death cases

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A bill set for action early next year in the state Senate would require coroners to release autopsy reports related to the cause of death in cases such as that of Tucker Hipps, the Clemson student who died during a fraternity run in September.

State Sen. Larry Martin said he pre-filed the bill in response to a state Supreme Court ruling that came out after the legislative session ended last summer that found that autopsy reports are "medical records" and thus exempt from disclosure under the state's Freedom of Information Act.

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S.C. Senate bills seek to fix FOIA

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Following this year’s state Supreme Court rulings that dramatically curtailed the public’s ability to follow the actions of public bodies, state senators have introduced legislation that could let some sunshine back in.

The court had said that public bodies, such as city councils, were not required to provide meeting agendas. The justices also ruled that autopsies were exempt from public disclosure because they were private medical records.

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FOIA reform, infrastructure on table for next session

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Our recent election was exciting on both the local and national levels. I was honored to be re-elected to serve District 120. Running unopposed does take some of the anxiety out of the electoral process, but it doesn’t diminish my appreciation for all the congratulatory notes and calls from friends and supporters.

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Transparency a priority for northern Beaufort County political newcomers

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Voters in northern Beaufort County turned two incumbents out of local office on Election Day and replaced them with political newcomers — an unquestionable sign of discontent with business as usual.

Whether the electorate was specifically distressed about open government and adherence to the state's Freedom of Information Act is less clear. Certainly, however, the winning candidates made these issues part of their platforms.

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Lawmakers should ensure public can get information

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THE ISSUE: Freedom of Information Act; OUR OPINION: Legislature should make improvements to law a top priority

Do you believe the police should be held accountable when they shoot someone? Do you believe you have a right to know when your county or city council is considering raising your taxes? Do you believe when children die in state custody state agencies should be held accountable?

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Public officials can submit anonymous comments on RiverPort

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The identity of a public official who submitted a public comment letter to the Charleston District U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has been concealed from public view, because otherwise it 'would constitute a clearly unwarranted invasion of personal privacy.'

That's according to the federal agency, which released a handful of documents in response to a Freedom of Information Act request for materials generated from the public meeting on Hardeeville's RiverPort development.

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Editorial: Court gives FOIA a small victory

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After two painful losses before the South Carolina Supreme Court, there has been a small victory for the Freedom of Information Act in a case involving Greenville businessman and open-government activist Edward 'Ned' Sloan. The man who has sued a number of state and local agencies, often successfully, has been paid $18,000 in fees and costs related to a 2012 FOIA request that was handled improperly by the state Department of Revenue.

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SLED chief: Keep agents’ access to death records

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South Carolina's top cop asked legislators Tuesday to ensure that agents who investigate child deaths continue to have access to records like autopsy reports and birth certificates, saying he hopes a recent court ruling won't change that.

"There is no higher mission than the protection of our children," State Law Enforcement Division Chief Mark Keel told a special Senate panel Tuesday. "This is paramount to the department's ability to continue to fulfill its purpose and duties."

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Citizens group files FOIA for clarity on parkway expansion

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Attorney Dioné Carroll filed a Freedom of Information Act request, also known as an FOIA, earlier this month on behalf of a group of residents seeking more explanation as to the cost and timeline of the possible Hitchcock Parkway expansion project.

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Scoppe: The SC Supreme Court and the Freedom of Information Act

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The day after the state Supreme Court issued its second ruling in a month scaling back what our government has to do in public, I got a note from someone close to the chief justice that said, “It seems pretty clear the Court in this case and Lambries is telling the Legislature to revise the FOIA.”

That same day, the head of the S.C. Press Association foreshadowed what lots of critics would say when he complained that the court once again had ruled against openness and “punted important issues back to the Legislature for change.”

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