'Stop embarrassing Florida': Backlash hits GOP lawmaker over blogger registration bill

Last week, Florida Republican state Sen. Jason Brodeur introduced a bill that would require anyone paid to write about Florida politicians like Gov. Ron DeSantis to register with a state media regulator — a proposal similar to a law signed in 2014 by Russian President Vladimir Putin to rein in press freedom in that country.

The bill immediately sparked outrage, with even former Republican House Speaker Newt Gingrich calling the idea "insane."

But Brodeur doubled down in a interview given to digital network Florida's Voice and posted to Twitter on Monday, arguing it's really just an anti-corruption bill.

"Do you want to know the truth about the so-called 'blogger' bill?" said Brodeur in the text accompanying the video. "It brings the current pay-to-play scheme to light and gives voters clarity as to who is influencing their elected officials, JUST LIKE how we treat lobbyists. It’s an electioneering issue, not a free speech issue."

Brodeur's defense of the bill landed with a thud on social media, with experts tearing his argument to shreds.

"None of what he describes here requires registration/disclosure by bloggers themselves," wrote Lachlan Markay, a former Axios and Daily Beast reporter who has also worked for the conservative Washington Free Beacon and Heritage Foundation. "You could, eg, require lobbyists to disclose payments to media outlets or public communications agents. If the payments are from campaigns, that's already disclosed in campaign finance reports."

"It's a free speech issue. Money changing hands does not invalidate the First Amendment," wrote freelance reporter Jim Stinson. "Stop embarrassing Florida."

Other commenters pointed out, ironically, that the media ecosystem the Republican Party has built in Florida to motivate their own voters would be hardest hit by the legislation.

"The site he’s on here [Florida's Voice] would more than likely be impacted by the registry," wrote POLITICO's Matt Dixon. "The best part about this whole thing is — while he tries to go after one blogger he doesn’t like — he is really attacking the whole corporate/right-wing media echo chamber that the GOP has built in FL over their 25 years of one party rule," wrote former Florida Democratic Party strategist Eric Jotkoff.

Some of the sharpestwords came from Rick Wilson, the Florida-based former GOP strategist and Lincoln Project co-founder.

"This is the man trying to shred the 1st Amendment in Florida by making bloggers and writers get a license to create. It’s not a trolling strategy; he’s one of the many sweaty, po-faced, wannabe gauleiters following the unpatriotic philosophy of the post-Constitution MAGA party," wrote Wilson. "He even gives away the game of what he’s really afraid of. [He's] scared someone will [report] or opine something about him and it will make its way into a direct mail piece or a TV ad. Fascism will come to America, wearing a chicken suit."