Feb 2, 2009 1:04 pm US/Central
Bill Would Seal Minn. Bridge Victim Fund Records
ST. PAUL (AP) ―
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The bill would keep the records out of court proceedings and members of the compensation panel couldn't be called to testify unless there were allegations of a crime. (File)
CBS
The Senate has given preliminary approval to a bill that would keep records about the Interstate 35W bridge victim compensation fund under wraps.
The bill would keep the records out of court proceedings and members of the compensation panel couldn't be called to testify unless there were allegations of a crime.
Sen. Ron Latz says his bill was needed to tighten last year's law to fit with the Legislature's original intent.
He says the change protects victims who laid out their medical and emotional problems to the panel. He says many would have skipped the compensation process without the privacy guarantees.
But Sen. Warren Limmer says the records should be open to scrutiny by the public.
Offers to the victims are due by the end of the month.
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The original I-35W bridge over the Mississippi River opened in November 1967 and was 1,907 feet in length. The replacement bridge opened in September 2008 and measures 1,216 feet in length.
(© 2010 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
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