Florida threatens to prosecute TV stations over abortion ad

[retrofade]

Gov. Ron DeSantis’ administration is threatening to criminally prosecute Florida television stations if they do not stop running a political advertisement featuring a brain cancer patient who supports a November ballot measure that would broaden access to abortion in Florida.

But nearly a week after the state warned TV stations to pull the ad, the commercial is still running, and attorneys representing a political committee sponsoring the abortion ballot measure have issued a defiant legal letter in which they call the administration’s effort an “unconstitutional state action.”

The head of the Federal Communications Commission on Tuesday also issued a statement calling the state’s efforts “dangerous” and said TV stations’ right to air political ads are “rooted in the First Amendment.”

“Threats against broadcast stations for airing content that conflicts with the government’s views are dangerous and undermine the fundamental principle of free speech,” FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel said in a statement.

The feud stems from an Oct. 3 cease-and-desist letter the Florida Department of Health sent to Florida television stations over a political ad that features a woman named Caroline who was diagnosed with brain cancer two years ago while pregnant with her second child. In the ad, the woman says Florida’s six-week abortion ban would have prevented her from receiving a life-saving abortion.

John Wilson, the general counsel for the state agency, says the claims made by the woman are “categorically false” and that the message constitutes a “sanitary nuisance” that could put women’s health and lives at risk if it continues to be broadcasted.

The state agency’s letter is the latest example in which DeSantis’ administration has used taxpayer resources to defeat Amendment 4. In recent months, the governor has engaged in an all-out war against the abortion measure with the help of state agencies, which critics have accused of pushing the legal boundaries between campaign politics and state duties.

The cease-and-desist letter is drawing similar comparisons.

“The department cannot criminalize media outlets running political advertisements with which it disagrees,” attorneys with Floridians Protecting Freedom wrote in a letter to television stations last week. “The department’s letter is a flagrant abuse of power, and it should be rejected out of hand.”

https://www.yahoo.com/news/florida-threatens-prosecute-tv-stations-222719132.html

 

[stanfordchef]

On 10/9/2024 at 8:52 AM, retrofade said:

Gov. Ron DeSantis’ administration is threatening to criminally prosecute Florida television stations if they do not stop running a political advertisement featuring a brain cancer patient who supports a November ballot measure that would broaden access to abortion in Florida.

But nearly a week after the state warned TV stations to pull the ad, the commercial is still running, and attorneys representing a political committee sponsoring the abortion ballot measure have issued a defiant legal letter in which they call the administration’s effort an “unconstitutional state action.”

The head of the Federal Communications Commission on Tuesday also issued a statement calling the state’s efforts “dangerous” and said TV stations’ right to air political ads are “rooted in the First Amendment.”

“Threats against broadcast stations for airing content that conflicts with the government’s views are dangerous and undermine the fundamental principle of free speech,” FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel said in a statement.

The feud stems from an Oct. 3 cease-and-desist letter the Florida Department of Health sent to Florida television stations over a political ad that features a woman named Caroline who was diagnosed with brain cancer two years ago while pregnant with her second child. In the ad, the woman says Florida’s six-week abortion ban would have prevented her from receiving a life-saving abortion.

John Wilson, the general counsel for the state agency, says the claims made by the woman are “categorically false” and that the message constitutes a “sanitary nuisance” that could put women’s health and lives at risk if it continues to be broadcasted.

The state agency’s letter is the latest example in which DeSantis’ administration has used taxpayer resources to defeat Amendment 4. In recent months, the governor has engaged in an all-out war against the abortion measure with the help of state agencies, which critics have accused of pushing the legal boundaries between campaign politics and state duties.

The cease-and-desist letter is drawing similar comparisons.

“The department cannot criminalize media outlets running political advertisements with which it disagrees,” attorneys with Floridians Protecting Freedom wrote in a letter to television stations last week. “The department’s letter is a flagrant abuse of power, and it should be rejected out of hand.”

https://www.yahoo.com/news/florida-threatens-prosecute-tv-stations-222719132.html

 

But it’s the freedom state!!! Lol

 

[mysfit]

Gone

Off

The

Deep

End

[aztech]

On 10/9/2024 at 9:28 AM, Joe from Wyo said:

But it’s the freedom state!!! Lol

 

The Republican mantra:  DO AS I SAY, NOT AS I DO.

[gordonsolie]

yikes

thats fascist af

[Spaztecs]

Not

An

Authoritarian 

Move.

 

Don't you know this is for the benefit of women so they won't have to worry about abortion ?

[Just_Chris]

And today Trumpty Dumpty is threatening to go after CBS unless they release the transcripts of the 60 minutes interview... 

[sjsbuff]

Desantis still bitter that he (and his campaign) was an absolute shadow of the Twice Impeached, 34 Times Convicted Orange Shitstain's.  To be clear, they're both gutter sludge, but Ronnie D. manages to still have his occasional belligerent bout of "Look at me - I'm still a fucking fascist, MAGA-loving weirdo"...

[Just_Chris]

On 10/9/2024 at 8:07 PM, sjsbuff said:

Desantis still bitter that he (and his campaign) was an absolute shadow of the Twice Impeached, 34 Times Convicted Orange Shitstain's.  To be clear, they're both gutter sludge, but Ronnie D. manages to still have his occasional belligerent bout of "Look at me - I'm still a fucking fascist, MAGA-loving weirdo"...

Stomping around in his high heels.. "I'm in charge, not FEMA" 

[TSpoke]

But it is the dems who are the threat to FREE SPEECH.

[Orange]

I’m sure Elon Musk, free speech warrior, will weigh in on the injustice of this.  
 

Because “hE’S a geNiuS aNd mAkeS tHe woRlD BeDdEr” - @halfmanhalfbronco

[Spaztecs]

On 10/11/2024 at 9:09 AM, TSpoke said:

But it is the dems who are the threat to FREE SPEECH.

If the R's could have their way, you would have to pay a fee for speaking.

[halfmanhalfbronco]

On 10/11/2024 at 9:35 AM, Orange said:

I’m sure Elon Musk, free speech warrior, will weigh in on the injustice of this.  
 

Because “hE’S a geNiuS aNd mAkeS tHe woRlD BeDdEr” - @halfmanhalfbronco

Musk is an idiot and a genius.  Not sure what more you need me to say to you on the topic

[Orange]

On 10/11/2024 at 6:28 PM, halfmanhalfbronco said:

Musk is an idiot

Nope, that’s all we finally needed.  Took you about a decade after everyone else already knew. Maybe you were on too many drugs to recognize it.   

[halfmanhalfbronco]

On 10/12/2024 at 5:05 PM, Orange said:

Nope, that’s all we finally needed.  Took you about a decade after everyone else already knew. Maybe you were on too many drugs to recognize it.   

He is absolutely a genius.  And Ukraine would be part of Russia without him and he has greatly advanced humanity.

Deal with it

There is not a poster on the board who thinks you are a smart man.  Not one.

 

[Orange]

On 10/12/2024 at 4:21 PM, halfmanhalfbronco said:

He is absolutely a genius.  And Ukraine would be part of Russia without him and he has greatly advanced humanity.

Deal with it

There is not a poster on the board who thinks you are a smart man.  Not one.

 

Your weird popularity obsession is almost as weird as your obsession with gargling Elon’s nuts.   Arguably the 2nd most dangerous man in the world right now, who is ushering in fascism as fast as he and his $200B can do it, and you say he’s “gOoD fOr tHe wOrLd”.   
 

No one outside of edgelord internet land thinks you’re a smart man.  Not one.  

[halfmanhalfbronco]

On 10/12/2024 at 5:24 PM, Orange said:

Your weird popularity obsession is almost as weird as your obsession with gargling Elon’s nuts.   Arguably the 2nd most dangerous man in the world right now, who is ushering in fascism as fast as he and his $200B can do it, and you say he’s “gOoD fOr tHe wOrLd”.   
 

No one outside of edgelord internet land thinks you’re a smart man.  Not one.  

The international master I beat yesterday in the monthly rapid arena would disagree.  

[RSF]

Orange passing judgment on someone’s intelligence. 
 

 

now THAT’s comedy. 

[Orange]

On 10/12/2024 at 6:28 PM, halfmanhalfbronco said:

The international master I beat yesterday in the monthly rapid arena would disagree.  

Is that an onlyfans reference?

[mysfit]

On 10/12/2024 at 5:21 PM, halfmanhalfbronco said:

He is absolutely a genius.  And Ukraine would be part of Russia without him and he has greatly advanced humanity.

Deal with it

There is not a poster on the board who thinks you are a smart man.  Not one.

 

Wrong

Which is what happens when you try and deal in absolutism.

And Elon is a self absorbed 12 year old man child. Not sure how how anyone can honestly defend him after he picked a fight with one of the main rescuers of those kids in the flooded cave calling him a pedophile. What kind of a human being does that? Creepometer went off the scale then.