New Oklahoma bill would force journalists to be licensed by the state

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:”

• 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.

Enjoy fascism much? Dahm isn’t just a Republican state senator, he’s the chair of the state Republican Party. And while The Oklahoman suggests the legislation probably won’t become law, the continuing trend of Republican extremism is enough to worry state Rep. Mickey Dollens, the rare Democrat in Oklahoma, who told the news outlet, “I would have said this bill has no chance of advancing, but based on extremist legislation passed in recent years, I wouldn't put it past them. As a Democratic legislator in a supermajority Republican House, I feel it's one of my duties to push back on unconstitutional extremist legislation and to be the voice of those Oklahomans who don't have one in their elected officials.”

Dollens isn’t wrong. Oklahoma Republicans spent a good part of 2023 getting rid of library books they deemed “woke.” Earlier this week, Republican state Rep. Justin Humphrey filed a bill that would target students who identify as “furries,” ostensibly creating legislation based on debunked right-wing urban legends.