Hawaii House Votes To Restore Shield Law

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The Hawaii House of Representatives on Tuesday morning (April 30) voted on a voice vote to amend proposed legislation on the media shield law.

A floor amendment introduced by Majority Leader Scott Saiki calls for extending the current 1st Amendment protections for journalists for two years. It rejects the amended version of House Bill 622 that many critics said would severely weaken the shield law, in no small part because bloggers and free print media would not be covered.

Saiki stressed that protection for journalists to “report the truth” was important to the state and its citizens.

The amended bill will now go to the Senate for its consideration on Thursday, the last day of session. In that chamber, Judiciary and Labor Chairman Clayton Hee has led the effort to amend the bill, much to the consternation of advocates of the 1st Amendment.

Read Civil Beat’s report on the bill.

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House Speaker Joe Souki.

—Chad Blair

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