(ConservativeHub.com) – A new bill proposed in Florida by a Republican lawmaker would demand that bloggers register with the state before being allowed to write about Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-Fla.), his advisers, and Florida lawmakers.
According to the new bill, all bloggers who are paid for the material they publish online about DeSantis or members of his cabinet or legislature would need to work it out with the Florida Office of Legislative Services or the Commission on Ethics. However, this registration rule wouldn’t impact actual news websites.
The bill, which was introduced by Republican state Sen. Jason Brodeur, states that bloggers who write about elected officials and receive compensation will need to register “within 5 days after the first post by the blogger.” Any additional posts written about such elected individuals would also need to be detailed in a monthly report written and submitted by the blogger. Information regarding the published blog posts should include who they are referring to, the time they were published as well as the amount that they would receive in compensation.
Failure to abide by this bill, if approved, could result in the distribution of financial penalties. However, the bill is not supported by everyone. According to Fox News, some people, including Conservatives, are concerned it would paint a negative picture of the GOP. The Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression also slammed the bill as “an affront to the First Amendment.” According to them, the implementation of such a rule would go against the country’s very “founding spirit.”
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