Last Thursday, a bill was filed by Florida Republican state Sen. Jason Brodeur that would mandate that any paid blogger who writes about state politics including the governor, his administration, cabinet, and members of the state legislature to register with the state or be subjected to fines.
As we reported, the bill raises serious First Amendment concerns, with some First Amendment attorneys noting in so many words that the bill likely would not survive in court should it come to that point.
Fortunately, though, it looks like it won’t come to that. Because just a few days after the bill’s introduction and the predictable media hyperventilating and attaching Gov. Ron DeSantis’ name to something he had nothing to do with, DeSantis has come out against Brodeur’s proposal.
In his remarks informing the media that he does not support the bill, he also chastised them for putting his picture on articles about something he had no hand in crafting. Further, he reminded them that anyone in the state legislature could file a bill, and that just because it was put forth by a Republican didn’t automatically mean he was on board with it:
“Every person in the legislature can file bills,” the governor said after delivering his “State of the State” address.
“I see these people filing bills and there are these articles with my face on the article saying that bloggers are going to have to register with the state and they’re attributing it to me.
“That’s not anything I’ve ever supported, I don’t support,” added DeSantis, a likely 2024 presidential candidate. “I’ve been very clear about what we are doing.”
“I don’t control every single bill that has been filed,” he added.
Watch:
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
We eagerly await the apologies from The Usual Suspects in the press and on the talking head shows who pinned this legislation directly on DeSantis as a way to paint him as a “local Mussolini”:
MSNBC’s @BeschlossDC: “[@GovRonDeSantis] really has tried to turn him self into sort of a local Mussolini in Fla. What w/ the book banning, the brutal tactics, & … the suggestion that bloggers have to register w/ the state … This is fascism & authoritarianism” pic.twitter.com/Wz8fem6Bf9
— Tom Elliott (@tomselliott) March 5, 2023
I’ve seen some on Twitter try to credit media criticism of the bill for DeSantis taking the stance that he did, but as readers are well aware, DeSantis doesn’t typically back down from anything he supports. In fact, the 2022 parental rights bill that the left lost their minds over and falsely called the “don’t say gay” bill was not a DeSantis-inspired bill, but he nevertheless stood up for it and eventually signed it into law, defending it from spurious media attacks along the way.
If he’d have supported Brodeur’s bill, in my opinion, DeSantis would have said so. That he doesn’t ensures the bill will probably be DOA, so… next “issue,” please?
Related: Jen Rubin’s Latest Ron DeSantis Hit Piece Hilariously Does Not Have the Intended Effect
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