State lawmakers worry someone will make a bundle from ghoulish autopsy photos of Dale Earnhardt, or that children will be exposed to gruesome photos on the internet. Autopsy photos have always been public record, but less than a month after the races Death, the Earnhardt Family Protection Act is moving quickly through the legislative process. Media lawyers suggested allowing experts and others to see such photos but prohibit their publication without a judges order. The committee said no, a judge must decide if anyone sees the photos. The committee also turned down efforts to lessen the penalty for violating the act.
Senators say to have teeth, violations ought to be a felony.
The committee also said no to lessening the penalty for violating the act, Senators argued that if it was going to have teeth, it needed to be a felony. The bill cleared committee unanimously. Sponsors call it a victory for decency.