Shields up! Contact your U.S. senator today! (or at least before Thursday)
Now is the time to contact your U.S. senator to support the federal shield law. On Thursday the Senate Judiciary Committee will consider passing S. 448, the Free Flow of Infomation Act. The bill isn't perfect, but it would provide projection to people who commit acts of journalism from willy-nilly federal subpoenas.
Act now. It's easy. Go to the SPJ shield law Web site and also find links to U.S. senators. Click to fill out an easy form to submit your thoughts on the matter. For a list of the senators on the Judiciary Committee, with links to online contact information, see below. Also, for a great tip sheet on how to deal with a subpoena, check out this great tip sheet provided at the SPJ national conference last month.
U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee members (click on the name below to get you to each senator's contact message form - it's easy!):
Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.), Ranking Member
Jon Kyl (R-Ariz.)
Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.)
Edward Kaufman (D-Del.)
Richard Durbin (D-Ill.)
Charles Grassley (R-Iowa)
Benjamin Cardin (D-Md.)
Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.)
Al Franken (D-Minn.)
Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.)
Tom Coburn (R-Okla.)
Arlen Specter (D-Pa.)
Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.)
Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.)
John Cornyn (R-Texas)
Orrin Hatch (R-Utah)
Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), Chairman
Herb Kohl (D-Wis.)
Russell Feingold (D-Wis.)