Newt Gingrich Calls On Florida Republican To Back Away From 'Insane' Bill
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Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich offered his two cents on a FloridaRepublican’s “insane” piece of proposed legislation that would require paid bloggers who cover state politicians to register with the state.
The bill, introduced by Florida Sen. Jason Brodeur (R), targets bloggers who write about Gov. Ron DeSantis (R), state Cabinet members and state legislators, NBC News reported.
Brodeur has referred to paid bloggers as “lobbyists who write instead of talk” and his efforts to pass the bill didn’t please Gingrich.
“The idea that bloggers criticizing a politician should register with the government is insane,” Gingrich wrote in a tweet. “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.”
The idea that bloggers criticizing a politician should register with the government is insane. 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.
— Newt Gingrich (@newtgingrich) March 5, 2023
Clay Calvert, a University of Florida professor emeritus of law, also criticized the bill, dubbing it “highly problematic.”
“It is tantamount to requiring bloggers to register, and that’s a form of licensing. One of the reasons we have the First Amendment is to give the press freedom, and to be free from government control,” Calvert told Newsweek.
