Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has a new book out, “The Courage to Be Free.”
The Courage to be free. Really? In Ron DeSantis’ Florida?
Cornerstones buttressing American freedom are the freedom of speech and freedom of the press.
One (legal) definition of freedom of the press by Merriam-Webster is “the right of newspapers, magazines, etc., to report news without being controlled by the government.” Such a right – along with freedom of speech – is guaranteed by the First Amendment.
If a proposed senate bill is passed by the DeSantis’-controlled Florida legislature, such a right would be drastically curtailed and threatened.
Florida Sen. Jason Brodeur (R-Lake Mary) has proposed a bill, Senate Bill 1316: “Information Dissemination,” under which, if passed, and
• If I posted this column about Governor DeSantis and Senator Brodeur(or about any other Florida “elected state official…”) in some blog…
• If I received or would receive “compensation” for the post…
I would have to “register with the appropriate office…within 5 days after the first post…which mentions an elected official.”
Additionally, ”upon registering with the appropriate office,” if I add blog posts about those “elected members,” I must “file monthly reports” that include – among other – the source and amount of compensation (“rounded to the nearest $10 increment”), dates of publication, website and website address.
Of course, there would be penalties for defying the Florida censors.
The proposed law gives each house of the Legislature leeway in adopting such rules, as long as the rule provides for, “but need not be limited to [a] fine of $25 per day per report for each day late, not to exceed $2,500 per report.”
But all is well in the State of Florida, because in its great magnanimity, the state will allow the offending blogger “to appeal a fine…based upon reasonable circumstances.”
In other words, the State of Florida, unique in the Union, will decide when the circumstances are reasonable for a Floridian to exercise his or her rights under the First Amendment.
Read the proposed legislation here.
