A spokeswoman for relatives of 38-year-old Village Pantry clerk Marcella Birnell says they're "outraged" the state Department of Labor shut the public out of Wednesday's meeting of convenience store trade groups, police and state officials. That meeting was set to explore a timeline for working for safety improvements at convenience stores.
Democratic Rep. Ed DeLaney of Indianapolis tells The Indianapolis Star the issue should be vetted publicly because it affects workers and consumers.
Department of Labor spokesman Bob Dittmer says members of the Convenience Store Working Group wanted their first meeting to be private and without any distractions.
