[KEmom]

NOT a good idea.

[keats5]

Another RINO.

[elpinta]

Hugo applauds this move.

[Scott from the Left Coast]

Readers don’t know who they can trust, who to believe.

Obviously, this is true...because this moron got enough votes to get elected.

[muawiyah]

Patterson's idea is elementally bad.

For example you'd have a Helen Thomas licensed by the state, and she'd be spewing all her antisemitic drivel without even the danger of being fired by her employer over it.

Freepers giving first hand accounts would be instantly discredited by the state licensing authority.

No, this won't work.

BTW, why is this a Republican coming up with this cr*p. Aren't the Democrats smart enough to figure out fascist practice on their own anymore?

[ButThreeLeftsDo]

Five....so far....

[KarlInOhio]

Would John Semmens need both a journalism and a satire license?

[70th Division]

20% unemployment here in Michigan and this is all you have to do?

[ozzymandus]

Freedom of Speech?

[SumProVita]

Conflict of interest based on massive STUPIDITY.

[J Edgar]

Why isn’t this RINO dimwit being expelled from Republican Party PRONTO?

[from occupied ga]

It's time

[FightThePower!]

What a fool. This is the same guy that killed competitive energy markets in Michigan.

[April Lexington]

This is unconstitutional. The First Amendment guarantees freedom of speech and government regulation of that process just won't fly. Sales taxes don't even apply to newspaper sales because of the wide scope of protection. Having said that... this GOP RINO needs to be put out to political pasture. FAST!

[BenLurkin]

First there was “commonsense gun control”. Now “common sense speech control”.

[meyer]

Not just NO but HELL NO!

The first amendment is clear on this. We are all journalists, and the government cannot have any say in who may report news freely in a free country.

This man needs to be run out of office as quickly as possible. I don’t care what party he’s in.

[Desron13]

"The Internet has made it affordable for anyone with access to a computer to promulgate his voice. Readers don’t know who they can trust, who to believe.”

Trust me you Goose Stepping little Brown Shirt when I tell you that we are perfectly capable of figuring out who to trust and who not to trust when it comes to the Internet and the news. We most certainly don't need a bunch of scummy, Marxist politicians determining who can speak out and report on events. We already know how that scenario plays out. Now go somewhere and mind your own damned business and leave us alone!