Kansas Senate Committee to consider shield law

This week, Kansas’ Senate Judiciary Committee heard testimony from supporters of a  proposed shield law (Senate Bill 313). 

State Senate Majority Leader Derek Schmidt (R-Independence) sponsored the bill, which seeks to protect journalists from having to reveal confidential sources or turn over unpublished notes. The bill also incorporates a test to determine when the sources or information should be revealed.

Supporters of the bill said that the shield law would not only benefit members of the press, but would also extend security to ordinary citizens with important information that should be public knowledge.