UPDATE: Hawaii Not Ready to Say 'Aloha' to Shield Law

Image via WikipediaRepublican House Minority Leader Gene Ward is urging Judiciary Committee Chair Gil Keith-Agarin to get behind H.B. 194, Ward's measure to make permanent Hawaii Rev. Stat. c. 621, which protects journalists from having to disclose confidential information or the identity of anonymous sources, according to the Associated Press.

Chapter 621 was amended by H.B. 2557 in 2009, which created a limited privilege for journalists. Unless acted on, the shield law will expire June 30, 2011.  The privilege was asserted by a documentary filmmaker in 2009 to protect unpublished interviews and raw video footage sought in a property litigation matter, Brescia v. Ka'iulani Edens-Huff et al. (See "TUOL" post 5/10/09.]