Hawaii state flag flying at half-staff at the Hawaii State Capitol on Monday, May 8, 2023. Hawaii Governor Josh Green had ordered to remember the victims lost in a mass shooting in Allen, Texas, on Saturday May 6, 2023. .” decoding=”async” sizes=”(max-width: 900px) 100vw, 900px”>
The Hawaii state flag flying at half-staff at the Hawaii State Capitol on Monday, May 8, 2023.
HONOLULU (KHON2) — The Hawaii Broadcasters Association criticizes Governor Josh Green for his intention to veto “a bill that addresses an outdated state statute that allows a mayor or governor to suspend the broadcast of electronic media during a state of emergency. .”
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Currently, the governor or county mayor may shut off public services or suspend electronic media services and transmissions, to the extent permitted by federal law.
However, according to HAB, no federal law allows state or county authorities to suspend the transmission of electronic media.
“‘Electronic media’ as described in HRS §127A potentially includes radio, television, the Internet, cable, cellular service, text messaging, and social media broadcasts.”
“The ability of the Governor or Mayors to suspend any and all ‘electronic media transmissions’ during a state of emergency creates a clear prior restriction on freedom of speech and lawful publication and violates the First Amendment upheld by the Court Supreme Court,” says Chris Leonard, president of the Hawaii Broadcasters Association. “The current statute clearly represents government overreach by giving state and county governments a ‘blank check’ to shut down all electronic media transmissions without providing an explanation of why this is necessary, what systems are affected, why how long and how decisions would be made. to be made.”
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Another version of HB 2581 does not include language allowing the Governor and Mayor to suspend the transmission of electronic media in a state of emergency.
“We are very concerned because we have a law in place that jeopardizes public safety and our ability to provide a vital lifeline to the public,” Leonard says. “A simple edit to HRS § 127A will allow us to continue providing information that can save lives and keep our communities informed during a state of emergency, a time when we need more, not less, communication.”
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