Tampa Bay Times: Did DeSantis violate First Amendment with Fox News-only bill signing?
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis not only broke from decades of precedent on Thursday when he blocked all news outlets except Fox News from covering the signing of a voting bill into law. He also may have violated the U.S. Constitution. That’s the opinion of First Amendment experts who told the Tampa Bay Times it is illegal for DeSantis to hand-pick which media can cover a public proceeding.
Florida Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried said, “He (DeSantis) is using Fox News as a state news source. We see this in other locations across the world – China & Venezuela. Authoritarian regimes have state run presses, not here in America.”
Floridians are a little less free and a little less empowered after what our Governor did today.
But we are more motivated than ever.
— Nikki Fried (@NikkiFried) May 7, 2021
