A post shared on Facebook purports Florida Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis supports a bill that would require bloggers who mention politicians to register with the state.

Verdict: Misleading

The bill would require bloggers who write about elected state officials to register with the Florida Office of Legislative Services or the Commission on Ethics. A spokesperson for DeSantis denied his support for the bill in an email to Check Your Fact.

Fact Check:

DeSantis’ administration revoked the Hyatt Regency Miami’s alcohol license following a drag show the establishment hosted in which minors were present, Insider reported Thursday. The Florida governor also drew ire from fellow Republicans after describing the Ukraine war as “a territorial dispute,” Politico reported.

The post claims DeSantis was supporting a bill that would force bloggers to register with the state before writing about him. “DeSantis enacting a law that requires any blogger that mentions a politician to register with the state, so their words can be reviewed for ‘accuracy’ you know who else did that? PUTIN did it!” the Facebook post purports.

The claim is misleading. The bill would require bloggers who write and are compensated for articles about elected state officials in Florida to register with the Florida Office of Legislative Services or the Commission on Ethics, according to The Hill. The elected state officials covered by the bill are the “Governor, Lieutenant Governor, a Cabinet officer, or any member of the Legislature,” the outlet reported.

In addition, the article indicates the bill was introduced by Florida Republican State Sen. Jason Brodeur. (RELATED: Did Ron DeSantis Have Advance Knowledge Of The Mar-A-Lago Raid?)

Besides requiring bloggers who write about elected Florida officials to register with the state, the bill would also require them to report how much they are compensated monthly and by whom or be fined.

“The governor does not support this bill,” DeSantis’ spokesperson Bryan Griffin told Check Your Fact via email. Griffin also directed us to remarks DeSantis made during his recent State of the State address, which indicate his stance on the bill.

“That’s not anything I’ve ever supported,” DeSantis said in reference to the bill during his address. The governor also emphasized that the Florida State Senator has “independent agency,” meaning he doesn’t “control every single bill that’s been filed or amended” in the state.

This is not the first time DeSantis has been the subject of misinformation on social media. Check Your Fact recently debunked a claim suggesting the Florida governor had advanced knowledge of the August 2022 raid on former President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort.