Florida Republican state Sen. Jason Brodeur’s bill, which would require bloggers to register with the state, has drawn the ire of Governor Ron DeSantis.
The potential 2024 presidential candidate unequivocally denounced the proposed legislation during his “State of the State” news conference Tuesday, according to the New York Post. DeSantis distanced himself from his fellow Republican’s proposal, saying it was “not anything I’ve ever supported.”
Even as he denounced the bill, the governor also maintained that the ability for state legislators to file bills as they see fit is integral to the democratic process. “Every person in the legislature can file bills,” DeSantis said, while insisting that “I don’t control every single bill that has been filed.” (RELATED: DeSantis Announces Plan To Squash ‘Equity’ At New College Of Florida And Restore Merit)
BREAKING— @GovRonDeSantis just struck down the ‘Blogger Bill’ that forces Bloggers to Register With State
READ MORE https://t.co/bsC2wfxhht#FlPol #Florida pic.twitter.com/HbQ4gTM9Oh
— Javier Manjarres (@JavManjarres) March 7, 2023
DeSantis isn’t the first prominent GOP figure to condemn the blogger registration bill. Former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich took to his personal Twitter account to disavow the bill, going a step further than DeSantis by admonishing Brodeur. “It is an embarrassment that it is a Republican state legislator in Florida who introduced a bill to that effect. He should withdraw it immediately,” Gingrich wrote. (RELATED: Ken Burns Compares DeSantis Bill To Soviet Union, Nazis)
According to The Associated Press, Brodeur’s legislation would require bloggers to disclose revenue sources as well as where their posts are published online. Critics have highlighted the bill’s conflicts with the First Amendment’s provisions for freedom of speech and of the press. Without DeSantis’ support, the bill is highly unlikely to become law.