Minn. lawmaker targets funeral practices in bill

Some Minnesota lawmakers are discussing dead bodies instead of budgets on Tuesday.

A bill brought by Democratic Rep. Carolyn Laine of Columbia Heights is due for a House committee hearing. The legislation would give family members more power to choose funeral practices for a deceased loved one.

The bill would remove current requirements to embalm a dead body. It would allow families to display a body in their home while preserved on dry ice.

Laine says embalming a body isn't necessary as it would pose no health risks for up to four days after a person has died.

She says the bill will help families who want to have a more natural funeral and avoid the expensive process of embalming.

(Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

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