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

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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Sumter newspaper appeals judge’s ruling that autopsy reports are not public records

From The Republic:

SUMTER, S.C. — A Sumter newspaper is appealing a judge's ruling that autopsy reports in South Carolina are not public records.

A lawyer for The Item said the judge was wrong to rule that autopsy reports are medical records that are required to be kept private under state law.

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Haley wants FOIA exemption lifted

From MyrtleBeachOnline.com:

Gov. Nikki Haley wants lawmakers to lift the exemption in state law that allows them to shield their emails and other internal communication from public view.

But how the governor’s office has pursued that goal during the ongoing legislative session has put Haley’s administration at odds with the S.C. Press Association, which represents and serves the state’s daily and weekly newspapers.

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Haley asks state agency for help deciding which email records need to be archived

From The Item:

Gov. Nikki Haley said last week her office will preserve all emails sent to or from the governor's email account

The State newspaper reported last month that Haley's staff was deleting emails between Haley and her staff – an action that critics said violated state law.

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