The Massachusetts Senate has passed a shield law that would give journalists some protection from having to identify their confidential sources, reports Matt Stout (sub. The shield legislation, in the form of an amendment filed by Sen. Rebecca Rausch, a Needham Democrat, would have to pass the House and be signed by Gov. As Stout observes, Massachusetts is just one of nine states that do not have a shield law. (Wyoming is the only state without any shield protection. The shield legislation that the Senate approved Thursday would essentially adopt that balancing test.