AUSTIN, Texas — Texas journalists are asking legislators to cement into law guarantees that they will be shielded from libel lawsuits if they accurately report a whistleblower's allegations that turn out to be false.
They say that's been common practice in Texas for years -- but would like to see it codified into statute.
A bill doing that and authored by Republican Sen. Joan Huffman was presented in committee Monday. But it may prove difficult to pass.
Members of the Texas Trial Lawyers Association said the proposal is unnecessary, given a multitude of protections already in place for Texas journalists.
But Laura Prather of the Freedom Information Foundation of Texas said the need for the protection arose from a 2014 Supreme Court of Texas ruling that left state libel law nebulous.