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Florida bill would require [hired] bloggers who write about the governor and legislators to register with the state
NBC ^ | Dareh Gregorian

Posted on 03/02/2023 10:47:06 PM PST by BenLurkin

A Republican state senator in Florida has introduced a bill that, if passed, would require bloggers who write about Gov. Ron DeSantis, his Cabinet or state legislators to register with the state.

Sen. Jason Brodeur's bill, titled "Information Dissemination," would also require bloggers to disclose who's paying them for their posts about certain elected officials and how much.

"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 five days of the post, the legislation says.

It defines "elected state officer" as "the Governor, the Lieutenant Governor, a Cabinet officer, or any member of the Legislature."

...

Brodeur...old the website Florida Politics, which first reported on the bill: “Paid bloggers are lobbyists who write instead of talk. They both are professional electioneers. If lobbyists have to register and report, why shouldn’t paid bloggers?”

(Excerpt) Read more at nbcnews.com ...


TOPICS: Computers/Internet
KEYWORDS: bloggers; constitution; desantis; firstamendment; florida; statemedia; tyranny
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1 posted on 03/02/2023 10:47:06 PM PST by BenLurkin
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To: BenLurkin

Unenforceable.


2 posted on 03/02/2023 10:57:20 PM PST by Chad C. Mulligan
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To: Chad C. Mulligan
Unconstitutional.

3 posted on 03/02/2023 11:02:57 PM PST by Governor Dinwiddie (LORD, grant thy people grace to withstand the temptations of the world, the flesh, and the devil.)
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To: Chad C. Mulligan

We know who those bloggers are. It’s pretty obvious..... And yes, Trump should disclose who his hired hands are. Makes total sense...


4 posted on 03/02/2023 11:06:01 PM PST by blackberry1
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To: blackberry1

So should DeSantis, including the paid influences that pos of sites like FreeRepublic.


5 posted on 03/02/2023 11:12:43 PM PST by SoConPubbie (Mitt and Obama: They're the same poison, just a different potency)
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To: BenLurkin

WTH?!


6 posted on 03/02/2023 11:12:54 PM PST by Pajamajan ( PRAY FOR OUR NATION. Never be a peazceful slave in a\ new Socialist America)
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To: blackberry1

So should DeSantis, including the paid influences that post on sites like FreeRepublic.


7 posted on 03/02/2023 11:13:09 PM PST by SoConPubbie (Mitt and Obama: They're the same poison, just a different potency)
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To: Governor Dinwiddie

I agree


8 posted on 03/02/2023 11:17:17 PM PST by SaveFerris (Luke 17:28 ... as it was in the days of Lot; they did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold ......)
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To: BenLurkin

Transparency....
This message was paid for by.. Bla bla bla..
It will just get laundered like any old campaign finance bs...
So and so hires so and so in the name of the other so an so.
If anyone thinks this will really happen... You’re smoking crack with hunter.


9 posted on 03/02/2023 11:24:55 PM PST by Pocketdoor
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To: SoConPubbie

I think it’s a fair question. I think it should apply to all media especially at the national level. Having worked in the new biz in DC, that city is filled with paid operatives posing as journalists.

The deep state is notorious for buying it’s influence. It’s should, by law, be made public knowledge. Just like PAC money and who is behind ad campaigns.

Here in Florida, we recently seen the blogosphere filling up with paid operatives.
The legislature is right to make hired hands disclose who is behind their work.

It’s fair. Speech is free....but paid for speech should be identified and disclosed
and identified just like who is paying for the political ad you just watched or listened to. It’s totally constitutional..


10 posted on 03/02/2023 11:28:08 PM PST by blackberry1
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To: BenLurkin

Sounds like something a democrat would try to do.


11 posted on 03/03/2023 12:06:46 AM PST by Mastador1
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To: Mastador1

Actually.....Fox is very upfront regarding this very issue. They identify their paid
operatives and Fox News contributors. The are paid and hired to express their opinions.

In Florida.....we want the paid, hired hands... so called bloggers to be identified.

It’s kind of like dark money coming into a state to sway voters. We want these paid operatives to disclose who there are or slither back out of the state to where they came from.

Speech is free.....paid for speech needs to be disclosed.


12 posted on 03/03/2023 12:29:27 AM PST by blackberry1
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To: blackberry1

Actually.....Fox is very upfront regarding this very issue. They identify their paid
operatives as Fox News contributors. The are paid and hired to express their opinions.

In Florida.....we want the paid, hired hands... so called bloggers to be identified.

It’s kind of like dark money coming into a state to sway voters. We want these paid operatives to disclose who there are or slither back out of the state to where they came from.

Speech is free.....paid for speech needs to be disclosed.


13 posted on 03/03/2023 12:30:38 AM PST by blackberry1
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To: Mastador1

“Sounds like something a democrat would try to do.”

Naa, they prefer to throw you in jail if you speak truth to (their) power, at least in Europe, but also no doubt here also, once they get their judges in place.


14 posted on 03/03/2023 12:33:43 AM PST by BobL
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To: Governor Dinwiddie

I hope if this gets to the Supreme Court (I don’t think it will get nearly far) that they will unanimously kick this unconstitutional mess to the trash can where it belongs.

This is just inviting whoever is in power to “investigate” every critic. Does anyone doubt that the Democrats would massively use this against any and all critics. Imagine them charging critics with endless “process crimes” and so on.


15 posted on 03/03/2023 12:35:52 AM PST by Wilhelm Tell (True or False? This is not a tag line.)
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To: blackberry1

Fair question, but it’d lead X (the blogger) to disclose he’s paid $300 a month from a foundation located in Delaware. So you search for the foundation and find it’s just a mail-box...rented by a Company ‘Y’ centered out of Alberta, Canada. So you arrive there to find the company is another mailbox address...leading to some Greek isle which has 300 Russian millionaires who reside there but no firm idea about the true owner.

Worst case scenario...the blogger isn’t reporting the $300 a month as income to taxation. Beyond that...nothing much in terms of resolution.


16 posted on 03/03/2023 12:55:54 AM PST by pepsionice
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To: BenLurkin

Yeah, except for that pesky first amendment this might even pass muster.


17 posted on 03/03/2023 1:24:47 AM PST by muir_redwoods (Freedom isn't free, liberty isn't liberal and you'll never find anything Right on the Left)
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To: pepsionice

Yep....when I watch CNN or MSNBC.....I have trouble determining who works for the the news entity, the CIA, FBI or DNC. We saw how the Justice dept was literally paying political operatives to do their dirty work in the Russia Russia scandal.

It’s a fair question. At the state level much easier to discern. What about all the Feds who room the blogosphere as operatives...should they be allowed to post?

If PAC’s must disclose which ads they sponsor, so should bloggers be required to disclose who is paying them.


18 posted on 03/03/2023 1:38:41 AM PST by blackberry1
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To: BenLurkin

If a blogger is being paid by a political entity, he’s no longer just a citizen opining. He’s a political operative, and people should know that.


19 posted on 03/03/2023 1:46:48 AM PST by skr (Righteousness exalteth a nation: but sin is a reproach to any people. - Proverbs 14:34)
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To: blackberry1

>>Speech is free.....paid for speech needs to be disclosed.

Which part of the constitution is that detailed in?


20 posted on 03/03/2023 2:10:03 AM PST by qwerty1234
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