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Senate committee approves media shield bill to protect reporters from subpoenas
Summary
House Bill 158, a proposed media shield law, advanced from the Senate Judiciary & Rules Committee after testimony from journalists who said subpoenas were forcing them to disclose sources and materials; committee voted to send the bill to the floor with a due pass.
BOISE — The Senate Judiciary & Rules Committee voted to advance House Bill 158, which would create statutory protections preventing reporters from being compelled to testify about unpublished reporting or anonymous sources and would limit attorney access to reporters’ unpublished materials through subpoenas.
Senator Dave Lent, sponsor, described the bill as filling a gap: “Idaho is one of 10 states in the country that does not protect those folks,” he said, and invited journalists to explain the need. Melissa Davelin, president of the Idaho…
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