SLED chief: Keep agents’ access to death records

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."

Keel testified before the Senate's Freedom of Information Act Study Committee. During its first meeting, the panel discussed the effects of two recent rulings that deal with interpreting the state's FOI law. Continue>>>
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