You want to see the future with DeSantis as President? Take a looky-look at what’s being proposed for Florida’s bloggers
You want to see the future with DeSantis as President? Take a looky-look at what’s being proposed for Florida’s bloggers
March 3, 2023 by tomaswell
Here’s yet another example of an incremental step in the steady effort by Republicans to create an authoritarian fascist regime right here in the good ol’ U.S. of A.
Republican Florida State Sen. Jason Brodeur, who bears a striking resemblance to Ted Cruz, has actually proposed a bill that would require bloggers who write about Gov. Ron DeSantis, his cabinet officers and/or members of the Florida legislature to REGISTER WITH THE STATE.
Perhaps it’s appropriate that that kind of control freak would be named Jason.
All that’s missing is the hockey mask.
While exempting the websites of newspapers, the bill would require that bloggers who receive compensation for a given online post about any elected state official register with the Florida Office of Legislative Services or the Commission on Ethics.
Ethics? They got ethics in Florida? When did that happen?
You have got to be kidding, Brodeur. You Republicans have been screaming for years now against any effort to require registration of firearms – even in the aftermath of wholesale slaughter of schoolchildren and minorities.
One of the most ridiculous claims is that you have a God-given right to own assault weapons under the Second Amendment.
I have news for you, bonehead, it ain’t a God-given right. I don’t think God addresses gun rights anywhere in his manual, aka The Bible.
So, where’s your righteous defense of the First Amendment? You know, the one that guaranties freedom of assembly, press, speech, etc. Let’s show a little consistency here.
Brodeur’s bill is absurd and unconstitutional on so many levels it’s difficult to know just where to start. I’ll just say it’s a classic first bold step toward the creation of a fascist state.
“If a blogger posts to a blog about an elected state officer and receives, or will receive, compensation for that post, the blogger must register with the appropriate office … within 5 days after the first [post] by the blogger which mentions an elected state officer,” the BILL READS.
If a blogger posts subsequent stories about elected state officers, the blogger would be required to file monthly reports detailing where, when and by whom the post was published – and the amount of compensation received. Failure to file the required reports could lead to fines.
The proposed bill leaves unanswered the question of how the law would apply to out-of-state bloggers like yours truly?
I have no intention of registering in Florida or anywhere else but what if I write a story and post it here about DeSantis, or any other state official, including Brodeur? I have a few readers in Florida, so I know my posts go there, albeit on a limited basis. But what if they attempt to make me register and I resist?