Florida bill would slap huge fines on social media companies for deplatforming politicians

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Democracy is fragile, and if not cared for, it can fail. Recent events such as the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol and efforts to spread the Big Lie about the 2020 election results have left American democracy on shaky ground. But despite what one might hear on cable news or read online, there are reasons for optimism about our democracy. The 2020 election saw a record 159.6 million Americans turn out to vote. Never in the history of our country have so many people voted in an election. Yes, after the election, belief that the vote was free and fair went down among some groups, but this was caused almost entirely by the election lies spread by the former president. With Trump gone and the growing recognition that the 2020 election was secure, beliefs that the election wasn't free and fair can be remedied. Efforts to suppress the vote will sadly continue, but the resolve and the strength of those defending the right to vote has only grown. We should have every reason to believe that more and
more Americans will continue to head to the polls, knowing their vote will count, and by doing so, strengthen our democracy. —Bryant Holloway, Program Associate, Stand Up Republic

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** Florida man strikes again
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Fresh off passing bills to restrict voting and suppress protest, Florida is about to approve legislation that would fine social media companies that "knowingly deplatform" political candidates. The bill was first proposed in February by Gov. Ron DeSantis, not long after Donald Trump was banned from several social media sites—a fact that DeSantis claims is just a coincidence, of course. Republicans say the bill protects freedom of speech, while Democrats say it limits the speech of private businesses. ([link removed])
* — Big-time fines. The bill, SB 7072, calls for fining social media companies $25,000 per day for banning a political candidate and $250,000 if the candidate is running for election. It also prohibits a social media bogeyman known as "shadow-banning." Users must be allowed to opt out of shadow-banning, and platforms can't shadow-ban political candidates or news websites. ([link removed])
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* — A few exceptions. The law won't apply to temporary social media bans or to instances where a platform removes specific posts that violate its terms of service. But any social media ban that lasts longer than 60 days would result in a fine, and the platforms would have to make available any content the candidate posted before the ban. ([link removed])
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* — The Mickey Mouse exemption. The bill excludes any "information service, system, internet search engine, or access software provider operated by a company that owns and operates" a theme park or large entertainment complex. Why? Walt Disney World in Orlando brings in significant tax revenue for the state, which relies heavily on tourism dollars. —The Verge ([link removed])

MORE: To fight media disinformation, look at algorithms, say experts —Governing ([link removed])


** Eisen: Accountability for Giuliani slow but sure
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"If the elements of bribery or other crimes can be established, then Rudy Giuliani could also have potential exposure as a co-conspirator under the federal conspiracy statute. It creates an offense if 'two or more persons conspire either to commit any offense against the United States, or to defraud the United States, or any agency thereof in any manner or for any purpose.' To the extent that Giuliani was a part of the alleged scheme—and the public evidence seems to suggest a unity of purpose with his client—he's at risk." —Norman Eisen in ([link removed]) USA Today ([link removed])

Norman Eisen is an attorney, former ambassador and ethics czar during the Obama Administration, and senior fellow at the Brookings Institution.

MORE: Newsmax apologizes to employee of Dominion Voting Systems over false election accusations —The Verge ([link removed])


** The vaccine dilemma
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As demand for the COVID-19 vaccine levels off and the U.S. begins to wind down its mass vaccination program, counties with the sickest residents are still lagging behind and making only incremental progress in reaching vulnerable populations. A ProPublica analysis of Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data shows that early attempts to prioritize people with chronic illnesses have faltered, while healthier, often wealthier counties moved faster in vaccinating residents, especially those 65 and over. Counties with high levels of chronic illness had immunized 57% of their seniors by April 25, compared to 65% of seniors in counties with low comorbidity risk. —ProPublica ([link removed])

MORE: Fauci vs. Rogan: White House works to stomp out misinformation —The Hill ([link removed])


** No deal with Iran
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An Iranian state-run television announcement declaring that Iran had struck a deal with the U.S. and the United Kingdom regarding the release of prisoners is untrue, according to U.S. officials. State Department spokesman Ned Price immediately denied the report, which claimed that a deal for the Islamic Republic to release U.S. and British prisoners in exchange for Tehran receiving billions of dollars had been struck. White House Chief of Staff Ron Klain reiterated, "There is no agreement to release these four Americans." However, talks remain active between the countries. "We always raise the cases of Americans detained or missing in Iran," Price said. "We will not stop until we are able to reunite them with their families." —Associated Press ([link removed])

MORE: National security adviser says deal with Iran far from done —Politico ([link removed])
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** WaPo Ed Board: Where does the farcical Arizona 'recount' end?
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"The danger is not only that they will succeed in passing more restrictive laws, but that every time voters make a decision a partisan state legislature dislikes, lawmakers will seize the ballots from people who know what they are doing, conduct their own slanted count, and declare the will of the voters to be fraudulent. If it works in Arizona, expect Trump allies to push for similar efforts in Michigan, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, and elsewhere." —The Washington Post ([link removed])

MORE: GOP seeks to empower poll watchers, raising intimidation worries —The New York Times ([link removed])


** Focus on the Texas special election
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The race to fill the U.S. House seat vacated by Ron Wright, who passed away from COVID-19 in February, is heading to a runoff between two Republicans. Saturday's special election in Texas' District 6 featured 23 candidates—11 Republicans, 10 Democrats, one Libertarian, and one independent—all running on the same ballot. Wright's widow, Susan, a member of the Texas GOP's executive committee, earned 19% of the vote, followed by state Rep. Jake Ellzey, with 14%. The closest Democrat was Jana Lynne Sanchez, who finished in third place with 13% of the vote. ([link removed])
* — Wright and Ellzey will face each other in a runoff vote. Wright is backed by most of the Texas GOP establishment as well as Donald Trump, who endorsed her in a tele-town hall meeting a few days before the election. Trump's support did not net her enough votes to avoid a runoff, however. ([link removed])
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* — Ellzey, who ran unsuccessfully against Ron Wright in 2018, is supported by former Texas Gov. Rick Perry. The anti-tax Club for Growth has run media ads casting Ellzey as being anti-Trump, but Perry came to Ellzey's defense and campaigned with him on the eve of the election. ([link removed])
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* — Marine veteran Michael Wood campaigned as an anti-Trump Republican and received the endorsement of Rep. Adam Kinzinger, who has been vehemently opposed to Trump. But Wood's crusade, while gaining him national attention, didn't play well in a Republican arena still dominated by Trump. —The Dallas Morning News ([link removed])

MORE: GOP leaders who defy Trump feel the heat from his base —CNN ([link removed])


** Kilgore: The delegitimization remains strong
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"[Y]ou have to worry about today's GOP mistrust in democracy becoming permanent. In 2024, how much of a Democratic margin will be necessary to give a Democratic winner truly bipartisan legitimacy? 10%? A minimum of 5% in every battleground state? Does the loser get to decide if the winner can actually claim victory? How about if the loser has said for months that any defeat must be the product of a 'rigged' election? What if the Republican candidate is again Donald Trump? In the long run, this phenomenon is a bigger threat to democracy than the thuggish but sometimes farcical insurrection on Jan. 6. And like a slow-motion riot, the threat remains ongoing." —Ed Kilgore in New York Magazine ([link removed])

Ed Kilgore is a political analyst and columnist for New York Magazine.

MORE: Cheney slams Trump on 'big lie' over election —The Hill ([link removed])

Regarding Frida Ghitis' article on Friday, why not have two commissions—one for Jan. 6 and one for the summer protests and riots? —John H., Minnesota
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** The views expressed in "What's Your Take?" are submitted by readers and do not necessarily reflect the views of the editorial staff or the Stand Up Republic Foundation.
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