Legislation That Could Be Used To Cover Up Murders Of Tennessee Children Passes In Senate Committee
Image Credit: capitol.tn.gov
The Tennessee Conservative Staff –
The Senate State and Local Government Committee unanimously passed a bill that would keep autopsy reports of murdered children hidden from the public on Wednesday.
Senate Bill 2020 (SB2020), sponsored by Senator Shane Reeves (R-Bedford/Cannon/Moore/Rutherford-District 14), states that reports of county medical examiners and autopsy reports of victims who are minors would no longer be public record.
Parental consent would be required for the release of that information, as long as the parent or legal guardian was not a suspect in the case.
Reeves introduced the bill, noting that individuals would still be allowed to request to view records and make notes, but they would not be allowed to take any pictures or photocopies of them.
The committee first passed an amendment that would add additional circumstances in which records could be released. This would include a court order that requires release, a requirement by another state or federal law, or a DCS investigation that requires the records.
Deborah Fisher, Executive Director of the Tennessee Coalition for Open Government, was on hand to answer questions, but she was only asked to answer the question of who could see autopsies for minors now. She noted that they were public record except for photos of the deceased, which are confidential.
In previous testimony before the House of Representatives, Fisher opposed the bill, stating that a bill such as this one would shield violent perpetrators who have murdered a child from a just consequence, and they are necessary to help keep the government accountable.
“This bill assumes that police and prosecutors always get it right. Every couple of years, a story emerges in which a local journalist has used an autopsy – often working with a frustrated extended family member and not necessarily the parent – to shine light on both mistakes and attempted coverups,” Fisher said in her testimony to the House.
A roll call vote was requested by Chairman Richard Briggs (R-Knoxville-District 7). All 9 committee members in attendance voted for the bill.
Companion House Bill 1695 (HB1695), sponsored by Representative Rebecca Alexander (R-Jonesborough-District 7), was passed by the House on March 4.
SB2020 will move on to the Senate Calendar Committee for scheduling to be heard on the Senate floor.
Crimes like this needs to be public record as tragic as they are to show what some Animal has done to their victims and justice shall be served.
Exactly
RINO’s obfuscation of truth.
The more your hide, the more you hide. These laws will be used to hide all manner of things that happen. We’re reaching the point when TN’s ‘black budget’ will rival that of the Federal Government
On the other hand, pictures of a dismembered toddler … spreading across the I-net … a loved one …
IS WRONG TOO.
The issue is … How to maintain some Dignity of a Person, while still allowing Unencumbered Pursuit of Truth & Justice?
I, for one, am torn on these 2 extremes. It is a subtle trick of the Enemy of our Souls to allow the imprint of such Horrific Things to burn into the mind of the viewer. Older People, for the most part, Law Enforcement, Authorities … can see this stuff all the time, but do we want Kindergarteners’ minds messed up for life … propelling them into very wrongful perspectives? For the childrens’ sake, they need some protection from these things while they remain children in order to develop in a more prosperous way in their talents & abilities.
We should NOT deny reality, but protect The Sanctity of Life, especially Human Life.
Furthermore, such images stimulate a Violent Response among people who care, just like in The Old Testament, Judges 19:29 where the Levite cut up his woman in pieces who had been raped to death, and sent a piece to every Israel tribe. What happened afterwards was Overkill Justice such that the Tribe of Benjamin was almost wiped out. The Israelites rightfully so were so enraged that they killed a whole lot of innocent people … in Revenge … for the atrocity.
DRASTIC MEASURES ARE SOMETIMES NEEDED, BUT OVERKILL JUSTICE IS JUST ANOTHER TYPE OF INJUSTICE.
Degradation of Human Dignity (Image of GOD) has the Fingerprints of Satan….He is subtle in ALL his ways, & the most clever of GOD’s creatures… turning Good Intentions into a cauldron of Hellish results. Publicizing pictures & videos of a dismembered child in public arenas deadens individual sensitivities to such heinous things & violates confidentiality of private matters that should be revealed on a NEED TO KNOW BASIS WITH 2 PERSON INTEGRITY.
Do we want Human Life to be valued as a Grasshopper’s Life, an amount of currency, anything but The Image of God….as in India, China, in the minds of billionaire elitists, “royalty”, Corporations, empires, …who see persons as “property”, etc.?
Don’t immediately follow your Knee-Jerk reactions to ANYTHING, if you wish to ward off God’s Devil in your life & those around you.
Because, if you do, YOU are working a Fallen Angel’s Agenda, an entity that ENVIES & HATES HUMANITY, because Humans bear The Image of God & can get a “Get Out Of Hell, Free” card via The Blood of THE LAMB, CHRIST JESUS. HE IS RISEN! HE IS RISEN INDEED!