Colorado governor vetoes bill to make autopsy records secret

Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper has vetoed a bill that would have withheld child autopsies from public inspection.

The measure passed with wide bipartisan support in the final days of the 2018 legislative session. It would have exempted child autopsy reports from the state’s Open Records Act.

Supporters say the bill would protect family privacy and deter copycat suicides.It was opposed by transparency advocates, including news organizations. They argue exempting autopsy reports from public inspection would shield elected coroners from public scrutiny. And they say it would prevent investigations of youth deaths such as a 2012 report by The Denver Post and KUSA-TV. The investigation found Colorado’s child services system had failed to protect children from harm.

The veto can’t be overturned, because the Legislature is no longer in session.