A Florida Republican legislator wants bloggers writing about elected officials to register with the state, a proposal that has sparked First Amendment concerns and the ire of GOP brand Newt Gingrich.

The bill, introduced by Senator Jason Brodeur of Sanford,

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would require bloggers to file periodic reports with the state if they are paid for posts about Florida

the States

governor, lieutenant governor, cabinet members or legislative officials.

Bloggers should disclose who paid them and how much, along with other information such as where the post is online. They will be fined $25 per day the report is late, up to a maximum of $2,500 for each report. The legislation would not apply to content on a newspaper’s website or other similar publication.

The proposal soon caught the eye of Gingrich, a prominent Republican and former speaker of the U.S. House, who called it insane.

The idea that bloggers who criticize a politician should report to the government is insane,” Gingrich wrote on Twitter on Sunday. He must withdraw it immediately.

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First Amendment groups claim the proposal violates freedom of the press.

“All I can see is that it’s an attempt to limit and control free speech,” said Bobby Block, executive director of the First Amendment Foundation. It’s an attempt to string critics along and it’s an effort to make people who want to talk about you think very carefully before doing so.

It’s unclear how far the proposal will go in the GOP-controlled state House during the upcoming legislative session, which begins Tuesday. The Associated Press contacted Brodeur and Republican leaders in the House and Senate for comment.

In a Twitter post, Brodeur said the bill aims to bring transparency to blogs advocating or lobbying for specific causes. The text of his bill states that it would apply to any blogger who is paid to write about elected officials in Florida.

“Do you want to know the truth about the so-called blogger law?” from Brodeur message reads. It exposes the current pay-to-play arrangement and gives voters clarity on who influences their elected officials, JUST LIKE how we treat lobbyists. It’s an election issue, not a freedom of speech issue.

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Brodeur is also sponsoring a separate bill that would make it easier to sue media for defamation, a Gov. Ron DeSantis, a Republican.

DeSantis has made criticism of the media a major part of his national profile as he gears up for an anticipated presidential run in 2024, employing a tactic popular with Republicans who view news outlets as biased against conservatives.

A spokesperson for the governor said their office was unaware of the blogger registration law until it was filed. He said the governor will consider the bill in its final form if and when it gets through the legislature.

The American Civil Liberties Union of Florida has labeled the proposal un-American to its core.

This is a clear violation of the First Amendment, as it strongly discourages bloggers from discussing politics, one of the most critical forms of expression for preserving a democracy, the group said in a statement.