Constitutional Law

Hawaii lawmaker pushes for renewal of journalist shield law

By By The Associated Press

HONOLULU ? A Hawaii law protecting journalists from having to reveal their anonymous sources and private notes is expiring this year, and House Minority Leader Gene Ward is pushing to make it permanent.

Ward, R-Hawaii Kai, has asked Judiciary Committee Chairman Gil Keith-Agaran of Maui to consider H.B. 194, which would extended the shield law beyond its June 30 expiration date.

Ward said journalist protections are a necessary part of democracy that helps bring investigative reports to the public.

He said 49 states have shield laws or operate under court rulings that give news media and their sources protections.

The law was invoked in 2009 by a Big Island documentary filmmaker who used it to withhold unpublished interviews and raw video footage during court proceedings about a property dispute in Kauai.

Full post as published by First Amendment Center on February 01, 2011 (boomark / email).