A new bill introduced by the Chairperson of the State Republican Party, Oklahoma State Senator Nathan Dahm, would require journalists to register with the state, participate in indoctrination, and be subject to drug tests.
This is a horrific attempt to regulate journalism and control what the public can know. There is room, however, in so terrible a thing as this attempt to destroy the freedom of the press to laugh. The bill includes the following text: "a propaganda-free safety training course of no less than eight (8) hours as prescribed by the State Department of Education, which shall be developed in coordination with PragerU." Yes, the creation of a "propaganda-free" course with known right-wingnut propaganda creator PragerU.
On Wednesday, Oklahoma state Sen. Nathan Dahm has proposed a bill that would require journalists to submit to drug tests, take courses in being "propaganda-free," and get a license from the state. According to Dahm's Senate Bill 1837, called the Common Sense Freedom of Press Control Act, "any media outlet that includes opinions at any time in its print, broadcast, or other means of distribution shall do each of the following before any articles, stories, opinions, news, videos, or other media are distributed to the public:"
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- Complete a criminal background check.
- Receive a license from the Oklahoma Corporation Commission, which regulates public utilities in the state.
- "[C]omplete a propaganda-free safety training course of no less than eight (8) hours as prescribed by the State Department of Education, which shall be developed in coordination with PragerU," which is a right-wing advocacy group known for distorting U.S. history and promoting climate change denial.
- Have liability insurance of at least $1,000,000.
- Submit to drug testing every quarter.
