Donald Trump’s campaign against the media is trickling down to the state level.
Jim Lucas, the assistant majority whip in the Indiana state House of Representatives, has drafted a bill that would require any professional journalist to be licensed by the state police.
“If you’re OK licensing my Second Amendment right, what’s wrong with licensing your First Amendment right?” he said.
The Republican lawmaker has been feuding with local media over his seven-year efforts to repeal Indiana laws that require citizens to have a permit to carry a handgun.
Lucas’ proposal, which reads almost exactly like the existing handgun permit bill, would require reporters to be fingerprinted and pay a $75 fee. Anyone with a felony or domestic battery convictions would not be eligible to get one.
Lucas’ bill comes as Trump is escalating his Twitter tirade against media outlets.
People are just now starting to find out how dishonest and disgusting (FakeNews) @NBCNews is. Viewers beware. May be worse than even @CNN!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 13, 2017
Whether Lucas actually plans to introduce the bill is a murkier question. He’s known as a publicity seeker in the state and has raised the public’s ire a number of times.