A bill was passed on Friday, June 26th after a 3 am session where the NC General Assembly met to ratify the Senate Bill 168 overnight. The bill was requested by the Department of Health and Human Services and raises concerns where records dealing with death investigations from city departments will not be available for public records. Essentially this means that the public will not have access to know why people have died, and the death investigations would remain private until it reached to the medical examiner.
Protestors gathered outside the North Carolina Executive Mansion in downtown Raleigh. As a result, four protestors were arrested on Tuesday, June 30th after police said they spray painted the street. Many find an issue with the bill with the Black Lives Matter, especially with police brutality. This bill lacks the protection of those who are in the custody of the police, and if something were to happen to the detainees' health, this bill could make important records private. Another issue is how this bill reduces the transparency of public policy and the press. As of now, the bill currently sits on Governor Roy Cooper's desk, perhaps waiting for a signature or a veto.