Hostility to the First Amendment is a bipartisan endeavor. Too many elected officials take an oath to uphold the Constitution without having bothered to read the document.
The Orlando Sentinel reported this week that a Florida lawmaker of Republican persuasion has offered a bill to require bloggers to register with the government or face fines. The proposal excludes print journalists but mandates that all others who write about the governor, state officials or lawmakers provide information to the state about whether they are being paid and who is paying them.
The sponsor, state Sen. Jason Brodeur, who represents a district near Orlando, argues the bill is “an electioneering issue, not a free speech issue” and will provide voters with information about who is attempting to influence public policy.
