Florida bill will invite lawfare against Christians, NRB urges lawmakers to kill it

A nonpartisan religious broadcasters group is urging Florida lawmakers to oppose a controversial bill that they fear could lead to lawfare against Christian publishers and broadcasters.

Florida Senate Bill 752 would amend the Sunshine State’s retraction statute which puts limitations on defamation damages if a correction or retraction is issued, to require the removal of online content containing “false” information. The bill states that publishers are required to take action if a “reasonable person” would come to the conclusion that a statement is false.

On Monday, the National Religious Broadcasters (NRB) called for lawmakers to oppose the legislation, which it says would have the “very real possibility of weaponizing a wave of ‘lawfare’ against Christian broadcasters,” the organization’s general counsel said in a letter to Republican Florida Senate President Ben Albritton.

“We urge you and your Senate colleagues to oppose SB 752. The legislation is well-intentioned but contains serious flaws which could adversely affect publishers and broadcasters, including religious broadcasters,” the group’s general counsel wrote in the letter, which was obtained and reported by Fox News Digital.

“The most significant problem arises from the changes related to demands for corrections to articles archived on a broadcaster’s website. Plaintiffs can demand changes to old publications on one of two grounds. First, if a statement has been determined to be false in a judicial proceeding. Second, a change can be demanded if the publisher or broadcaster ‘receives notice of facts that would cause a reasonable person to conclude that such statement was false,’” NRB General Counsel Michael Farris wrote.

“It is the second provision that is the most problematic. The ‘reasonable person’ standard is inherently ambiguous in this context and is often a matter of perspective or opinion,” he added.

Farris said that “Christian broadcasters often take positions that are at odds with views of certain elites within society,” and the bill could be an invitation for lawfare to be waged against them.

“For example, if a transgendered male presents as a female and competes in girls’ sports, and a Christian broadcaster says that a male has been competing in women’s sports, the broadcaster could be potentially sued under this section for old articles on the subject,” Farris explained.

“Armed with ‘evidence’ from experts who support the affirmation of gender transition, a plaintiff could see relief under this legislation by claiming that his new gender is a fact and to refer to him as a male is both false and defamatory. The claim would be that reasonable people would conclude that transgendered males are in fact females and should be referred in such a manner,” the general counsel wrote.

“This possibility opens up a very real possibility of weaponizing a wave of ‘lawfare’ against Christian broadcasters simply for standing up for what they believe to be true,” the letter read. “First Amendment rights are precious and tampering with the time-honored legal standards is a task that should be undertaken with the greatest care and precision.”

The Florida Senate Judiciary Committee has already voted 8-2 in favor of the legislation.

Florida’s SB 752 passed our Senate Judiciary Committee by a count of 8-2.

The bill has support in the House too. It could be heading to the governor’s desk soon.

Though perhaps well-intentioned, this bill is shoddily written. It must be killed. https://t.co/T47BjL183Q pic.twitter.com/TLv16C9NDw

— Josh Hammer (@josh_hammer) March 24, 2025

Others have also come out against the bill and the potential for lawfare.

Senate Bill 752 would turn Florida into a judicial hellhole. This bill would limit free speech and open up conservative and religious media to liberal lawfare. @GovRonDeSantis @Daniel_PerezFL @Sen_Albritton https://t.co/9uc2PSChpY

— Mike Davis (@mrddmia) March 17, 2025

Crazy that this is coming from Florida

This would lead to straight up lawfare against conservative media companies

It’s already hard enough for us! https://t.co/RhusWc7n1Z

— Comfortably Smug (@ComfortablySmug) March 24, 2025

Everyone talks about how red Florida is, but they don’t realize that many “conservative” state lawmakers there are as worthless as in Texas. Without @GovRonDeSantis to keep them in line, Florida is screwed.

— Jackie Wright (@Joes1Neuron) March 17, 2025

The devil is in the details !!

— Murph (@murphtoday) March 24, 2025

“This legislation should be defeated for now. If there are other problems that this bill seeks to address, I would offer to collaborate with legislators or staff so that legitimate problems could be addressed without risking unanticipated harm to broadcasters and publishers—many of which share your worldview,” Farris concluded.

The bill has also drawn criticism from the left.

“This overly broad and vague bill is a brazen and blatant attack on the First Amendment. It seeks to side-step the judicial process and requires media outlets to permanently remove statements from the internet without any judicial determination that the statement contains any inaccurate information. If passed, it will chill, silence, and punish media outlets for doing their jobs. A free press is critical to hold government accountable for its actions,” the Florida ACLU said in a statement.

“As the world’s largest association of Christian communicators, NRB is a powerful voice in Washington, D.C. Our advocacy team works tirelessly to protect and defend the rights and interests of Christian communicators. The political and regulatory battles of today will define the shape of Christian media for decades to come. These challenges require sophisticated and effective engagement in relevant legislative and regulatory forums,” the National Religious Broadcasters state on the group’s website.

Staff Writer

Chris Donaldson is an ordinary American who is concerned about rampant corruption as well as the ongoing attacks on our way of life by those who have contempt for our hard-earned freedoms. A Navy veteran, he has been a frequent contributor to conservative websites and resides in Florida.

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