Rep. Alex Andrade’s defamation bill (HB 991) is officially dead. The bill that drew criticism from both Republicans and Conservatives made it through the House Civil Justice Subcommittee in March but has been waiting for a House Judiciary Committee hearing for more than a month.
Last week, Florida Politics reported the bill and its Senate companion bill were dead for this session.
Andrade – who would told House Civil Justice Committee the bill should be titled “Journalism 101″ – acknowledged the bill’s demise but tried to spin it, telling Florida Politics, “While I’m sure journalists and media outlets cared a great deal about this policy, there were just too many more important issues than a niche issue in civil torts that we needed to commit our time and attention towards.”
The bill was backed by Gov. Ron DeSantis. In February, the governor held a roundtable discussion in Hialeah Gardens. The staged, scripted event included “victims of media defamation, legal experts, and a member of the media who has witnessed the defamatory practices of his colleagues.” They discussed “the damaging impacts of defamation from the legacy media as it becomes a more prevalent issue in the lives of everyday citizens.”
DeSantis called upon lawmakers to take action during the 2023 Legislative Session. Andrade filed his bill two weeks later.
The First Amendment Foundation come out against the bill – “HB 991: Bad for Florida, bad for America.” The Florida Press Association also lobbied against the bills.
U.S. Rep. Cory Mills (R-Lake Mary) criticized the bill for violating “the free speech rights that are enshrined in the First Amendment of the United State Constitution.”