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Delaware Senate Set to Abolish Chief Medical Examiner's Office

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DOVER, Del. (AP) - Delaware's state Senate is set to vote on a bill abolishing the office of chief medical examiner and replacing it with a new division of forensic science.

The legislation to be voted on Thursday was prompted by a scandal involving evidence tampering and theft at the state drug testing lab, which is part of the medical examiner's office. 

Two employees of the medical examiner's office have been arrested, and the chief medical examiner is suspended with pay as officials investigate possible misuse of state resources. 

The proposed reorganization gives the chief medical examiner less independence and job security and would shift oversight from the Department of Health and Social Services to the Department of Safety and Homeland Security.

Don Rush is the News Director and Senior Producer of News and Public Affairs at Delmarva Public Media. An award-winning journalist, Don reports major local issues of the day, from sea level rise, to urban development, to the changing demographics of Delmarva.
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