My law school training taught me never to concede a point.

I relish the back and forth with a committee member when I’m testifying on one of my bills.

Ditto when I’m questioning a witness.

My legislative training, on the other hand, teaches me that compromise is achieved by conceding a point or two.

That was the case this afternoon when Delegate Simmons said, “I think your bill needs some massaging.”

House Bill 385  would extend the protection of the reporter’s shield to all people who engage in the gathering and disseminating of news, as defined by the existing law – even if they do so on their own blog.

But my bill won’t pass unless the definition of protected blogger is narrowed – massaged, as my colleague said.

After the hearing, I asked two of my witnesses, a lawyer for the Washington Post and the publisher of the Baltimore Brew, to email me descriptions of the reporting done for them by free lancers and other people who are not their employees.

I want to make sure our massaged bill includes them.