The Republican-led Texas Home has formally caved to the novel Left’s conflict on free speech—and shockingly, it’s being spearheaded by none apart from the state’s personal scandal-plagued former Home Speaker Dade Phelan.
On Tuesday, Home Invoice 366 handed with bipartisan help, making it a possible crime within the state of Texas to share or distribute AI-generated and “altered media”—together with political memes—and not using a government-approved disclaimer on political advertisements.
Based on the invoice:
“An individual could not, with the intent to affect an election, knowingly trigger to be revealed, distributed, or broadcast political promoting that features a picture, audio recording, or video recording of an officeholder’s or candidate’s look, speech, or conduct that didn’t happen in actuality, together with a picture, audio recording, or video recording that has been altered utilizing generative synthetic intelligence expertise, except the political promoting features a disclosure from the particular person or one other particular person on whose behalf the political promoting is revealed, distributed, or broadcast indicating that the picture, audio recording, or video recording didn’t happen in actuality.”
Let that sink in: Texas Republicans — sure, Republicans — are actually making an attempt to police memes.
The invoice makes it a Class A misdemeanor for candidates, officeholders, or political committees to knowingly distribute political advertisements that use manipulated pictures, audio, or video—particularly if created with generative AI—with out an express disclosure that the content material didn’t happen in actuality. The legislation applies to any group spending over $100 on such supplies and seeks to curb deceptive media that might affect elections.
Below the invoice, the Texas Ethics Fee will outline the particular formatting for these required disclosures. Nonetheless, media platforms and repair suppliers like web hosts, broadcasters, and billboard house owners are exempt from legal responsibility.
If signed into legislation, the laws will take impact on September 1, 2025.
WATCH:
BREAKINGThe Texas Home handed a invoice to CRIMINALIZE POLITICAL MEMES. Home Invoice 366 would LOCK UP ANYONE FOR A YEAR except political memes or altered media have a gov disclaimer. Why is TEXAS DOING THIS?!
RINOS are destroying the state!
Comply with: @Carlos__Turcios pic.twitter.com/hWQWoe4tlH
— Carlos Turcios (@Carlos__Turcios) April 29, 2025
The ultimate (unofficial) vote was 106 Yeas, 39 Nays, with 2 current however not voting and a pair of absent. Many RINOs joined arms with the novel Left to push this disgraceful invoice ahead.
At present, the Texas Home of Representatives handed RINO Dade Phelan’s invoice to CRIMINALIZE political memes.
The invoice would imprison individuals for 1 yr if meme doesn’t have a disclaimer.
I’ve no phrases. Right here is the vote. pic.twitter.com/oEIMofhNYs
— Sarah Fields (@SarahisCensored) April 30, 2025
The invoice, offered underneath the guise of defending voters from “AI misinformation,” has ignited a firestorm of backlash from Texans. However the true purpose for this unconstitutional stunt? Based on many, it’s easy: Dade Phelan received his emotions harm.
“Mr. Phelan’s harm emotions about what was clearly a political meme… will throttle free discourse in all venues,” one retired commenter from Faculty Station wrote within the public feedback submitted to the Texas Home Committee on State Affairs.
“That is the stupidest invoice I’ve heard from a Republican shortly,” blasted one other Texan. “Speech (and memes) shouldn’t be infringed. That is the highway to totalitarianism.”
“1st Modification is a RIGHT! Simply because Phelan is a politician does NOT trump my rights as an American. He must be censured after which faraway from workplace, for making an attempt to subvert our Structure! Away with him!” one other wrote.
It may be recalled that in Could 2023, Phelan oversaw the Texas Home’s surprising vote to question Legal professional Common Ken Paxton on 20 articles, together with bogus prices of bribery and abuse of workplace.
The Gateway Pundit known as it what it was — a politically motivated ambush towards probably the most pro-Trump, America First officers within the nation.
The proof? There was none.
Paxton fought again. Simply days earlier than the vote, he known as for Phelan’s resignation, accusing him of presiding over the Home whereas intoxicated — a cost The Gateway Pundit amplified, calling him the “drunk Texas Home Speaker.”
That is video from final night time within the Texas Home of Representatives the place it seems that TX Home Speaker Dade Phelan is both actually drunk or having a stroke. pic.twitter.com/dbSG7AO30r
— Greg Value (@greg_price11) Could 20, 2023
Paxton was absolutely acquitted by the Texas Senate in September 2023. Not one of many 16 articles handed. A complete embarrassment for Phelan, who tried to play kingmaker and failed — badly.
In February 2024, the Texas GOP formally censured Phelan for his betrayal of Republican values and his position within the impeachment fiasco.
By December 2024, the stress had develop into an excessive amount of. Phelan withdrew from his position as Home speaker.
