Nine state lawmakers were tapped this week to resolve significant differences between the House and Senate versions of a bill to make Hawaii’s shield law permanent.

They are set to meet at 4 p.m. Thursday in Room 325 at the Capitol.

House Bill 622 originally set out to simply remove the sunset provision from the existing law, which expires in June. But lawmakers have amended it to severely limit the protections afforded to journalists that keep them from being forced to reveal their sources or turn over their notes.

The conference committee members for the bill are: Sens. Hee (chair), Shimabukuro (co-chair), Gabbard, Ihara and Slom; and Reps. Rhoads (chair), Belatti, Lee and Thielen.

Read past Civil Beat coverage here.

— Nathan Eagle