New Mexico House panel signs off on press shield bill

Austin Fisher, Source New Mexico

This article was originally published by Source New Mexico.

The House Consumer and Public Affairs Committee voted in a 4-2 party line vote on Tuesday afternoon to pass an amended version of a proposal to strengthen and update New Mexico’s press shield law.

House Bill 153’s purpose is to lay down the rules by which the executive and legislative branches can compel confidential sources and documents from journalists, Charles Purcell, an attorney and expert on New Mexico’s press shield law and court rule, told the committee.

The committee’s members unanimously agreed to adopt amendments to include New Mexico’s legislative branch among the state entities that would be prohibited from compelling a journalist from disclosing confidential sources or information. The bill already included the executive branch and “administrative” state agencies.

The amendments also clarify that the law puts limitations on subpoenas. It previously placed limits on “the content of any testimony.”

Rep. Sarah Silva (D-Las Cruces) said there are more than 54 state agencies, boards, commissions and cabinet secretaries who have subpoena power in New Mexico.

Purcell said the bill intentionally adopts a broad definition of who is a journalist to include social media influencers and bloggers who regularly publish newsworthy information. Existing law only includes people who are employed by a news organization, he said.

Supporters in committee on Tuesday included representatives of the Albuquerque Journal, the New Mexico Press Association and the American Civil Liberties Union of New Mexico.

There were no opponents in the committee audience or online but Reps. John Block (R-Alamogordo) and Stefani Lord (R-Sandia Park) tried to table the bill. They were outvoted by the rest of the committee.

The bill heads next to the House Judiciary Committee.

Austin Fisher is a journalist based in Santa Fe. He reports for Source New Mexico.