TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A Senate panel has endorsed creation of a shield law that would protect Kansas reporters from being forced to disclose information not previously published.
The Senate Judiciary Committee’s move comes at the heels of a state Supreme Court ruling last month, which ordered a Dodge City Globe reporter to share notes with a prosecutor in a homicide case.
The Kansas Press Association has been working for years to get some sort of protective statute. The issue gained added urgency after Globe reporter Claire O’Brien was subpoenaed to testify, then held in contempt when she failed to show up in court.
Sen. John Vratil, a Leawood Republican, cautioned against tipping the scales too far in favor of journalists, noting the tension between them and prosecutors must be respected.
