Republican Party
Florida Legislature Passes Sweeping, DeSantis-Endorsed Age Verification Bill
The Florida legislature has passed a sweeping age verification bill that includes provisions applying specifically to adult websites, with Gov. Ron DeSantis calling the bill “superior” to a competing measure he vetoed days earlier.
Oklahoma Senators Express Concern Over Republican's Age Verification Bill
The Oklahoma Senate this week passed the state’s version of the age verification legislation being sponsored around the country by anti-porn religious conservative activists, after a lengthy debate during which lawmakers expressed reservations about the bill.
Gov. DeSantis Vetoes Florida's Age Verification Bill, Endorses Forthcoming Alternative
Gov. Ron DeSantis has vetoed HB 1, a bill in the Florida state legislature that originally restricted anyone under 16 from accessing social media, but was then combined with a separate bill mandating age verification of adult content.
Kentucky Republicans Revive 'Public Health Crisis' Claims to Justify Anti-Porn Bills
Republican lawmakers in the Kentucky House and Senate are renewing claims that adult content is part of a “public health crisis,” to justify introducing matching copycat versions of the age verification legislation being sponsored around the country by anti-porn religious conservative activists.
Conservative Group's Plan to Criminalize Porn Is Part of Campaign to End All 'Recreational Sex'
A 2023 X post by the Heritage Foundation, in which the influential conservative think tank called for an end to “recreational sex,” has resurfaced in the wake of the Alabama Supreme Court’s recent ruling that frozen embryos are legally children.
Nebraska Republican Asserts Age Verification Aims to 'Protect Women' From Adult Content
The Nebraska Republican legislator behind the state’s copycat version of the age verification legislation being sponsored around the country by anti-porn religious conservative activists asserted Wednesday that his bill aims not only to shield minors from adult content but also to “protect women.”
Kansas Senator Dismisses Free Speech Concerns About Her Age Verification Bill
The Kansas state Senate Judiciary Committee last week voted unanimously to endorse the state’s copycat version of the age verification legislation being sponsored around the country by anti-porn religious conservative activists, despite Democratic senators expressing concerns about potential implications for free speech.
Florida Republicans Combine Age Verification, Social Media Ban Bills
Republican state legislators in Florida have incorporated a copycat age verification bill, introduced by a pastor and based on other laws championed by religious conservatives across the country, into a larger bill that aims to prevent anyone under 16 from using certain social media platforms.
Idaho Republicans Split About Proposed Porn Filter Mandate
Debate in the Idaho state Senate this week, over a copycat bill that would require device manufacturers to enable "pornography filters" on devices used by minors, divided members of the Republican supermajority, 12 of whom voted against the measure.
Republican Introduces Bill to Effectively Outlaw All Sex Work in the U.S. as 'Coercive'
The U.S. Congress’ top anti-porn crusader, Utah Senator Mike Lee, introduced a bill last week that would effectively outlaw all sex work in the nation, including adult performance and content creation, by classifying any consent influenced by a person’s economic circumstances as coercive.
Idaho Republican Behind Age Verification Bill Cites Constitutional Mandate to 'Promote Morality'
The Idaho House State Affairs committee this week unanimously moved forward the state’s copycat version of the age verification legislation being sponsored around the country by anti-porn religious conservative activists.
West Virginia Religious Republican's Anti-Porn Age Verification Bill Moves Forward
The House Judiciary Committee of the Republican-controlled West Virginia state House of Delegates has passed, with little discussion, the state’s copycat version of the age verification legislation being sponsored around the country by anti-porn religious conservative activists.
Florida Pastor/Legislator Introduces Anti-Porn Age Verification Bill
A Republican state legislator in Florida, who is also a pastor, has introduced a copycat version of the age verification legislation being sponsored around the country by anti-porn religious conservative activists.
Tennessee Republican Proposes Felony Charges in Copycat Age Verification Bill
Republican state Rep. Patsy Hazlewood on Wednesday filed an age verification bill with the Tennessee state legislature, a copycat version of the numerous age verification bills being advanced by religious conservatives and anti-porn crusaders around the country.
New House Speaker Mike Johnson Vowed to Push Anti-Porn Legislation
The new speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, Louisiana Republican Mike Johnson, elected Wednesday by his GOP colleagues after a weeks-long stalemate, last year vowed to promote anti-porn, anti-LGBTQ+ and anti-sex-education legislation if he ever had the authority.
Virginia GOP Mails Porn Screenshots to Voters to Smear Pro-Choice Candidate
Two weeks before a highly contested election in Virginia, the commonwealth’s Republican Party has sent a mass mailing to voters containing explicit screen captures from an adult cam show featuring one of the Democratic candidates.
Out-of-State Religious Conservative Activists File Brief Supporting Anti-Porn Texas Law
An extreme-right Virginia attorney with Trump links, acting on behalf of an obscure organization led by a Colorado-based religious conservative activist and former child actor, has filed a lengthy brief in a federal appeals court in Texas, supporting the state’s controversial new age verification and mandatory labeling law.
Ohio Republican's 'Innocence Act' Could Criminalize Online Nudes
A Republican lawmaker in Ohio introduced this week an age verification bill called the “Innocence Act,” which observers have pointed out that, as submitted, could criminalize the posting of any nude image online without verifying age as a felony.
North Dakota Republican Calls for Total Criminalization of Adult Content
A North Dakota Republican lawmaker took to Twitter over the weekend to call for the total criminalization of adult content and for all politicians to submit to “the Gospel of Jesus Christ.”
North Carolina Group Backing Age Verification Bill Admits Law Is Actually 'Anti-Pornography'
A North Carolina religious conservative group backing just-passed age verification legislation, which a Republican state senator snuck into an unrelated bill last week, has admitted the copycat amendment is in fact an “anti-pornography provision.”