Texan Republican Rep Sponsors Bill Potentially Criminalizing Political Memes

Texas Rep. Dade Phelan is pushing House Bill 366, a proposal that would criminalize political advertising containing altered images, audio, or video without disclosure. Critics argue the bill is unconstitutional and a direct attack on free speech, especially in the realm of political satire and memes.

Key Facts

Texas Rep. Dade Phelan (R) introduced House Bill 366 to regulate manipulated political media.
The bill would require disclosures on altered images, audio, or video in political advertising.
Failure to comply could lead to a Class A misdemeanor, punishable by up to a year in jail or a $4,000 fine.
Phelan claims the bill does not target social media memes, but its vague language suggests otherwise.
The legislation follows a political mailer that used edited images of Phelan hugging Nancy Pelosi and speaking at a Democratic event.

The Rest of The Story

House Bill 366, proposed by Dade Phelan, aims to regulate political advertising that includes altered media.

The bill would require clear disclosures when an image, video, or audio clip has been manipulated, and enforcement would fall under the Texas Ethics Commission.

Critics argue the law is overly broad and infringes on First Amendment rights.

The proposal comes after a campaign attack against Phelan, where a political mailer featured doctored images of him appearing to embrace Democratic leaders.

Phelan claims the bill is necessary to prevent misleading information in political campaigns.

However, legal experts and free speech advocates warn that it could criminalize satire, parody, and political criticism.

Dade Phelan’s so-called ‘meme bill’ is a blatant assault on free speech and a disgrace coming from a supposed Republican. This unconstitutional attempt to criminalize political expression has NO place in Texas—a state that cherishes freedom and the Constitution. We must reject… pic.twitter.com/DnhITgIBtZ

— Alexander Duncan (@AlexDuncanTX) March 20, 2025

Commentary

This bill is nothing more than a blatant attempt by Dade Phelan to silence his critics.

After facing relentless mockery for his questionable behavior, including an incident where he appeared intoxicated during a House session, Phelan is now trying to outlaw the very tools used against him—memes and satirical media.

He claims, “If you like your memes, you can keep your memes,” but we’ve heard a promise like that before.

Remember Obama’s infamous “If you like your doctor, you can keep your doctor” under the Affordable Care Act?

That turned out to be a complete falsehood, and so will this.

"If you like your memes, you can keep your memes. This has nothing to do with what's on social media," @DadePhelan said of his bill mandating disclosures on political advertisements with AI-generated "deepfakes." Critics argue the bill is overly broad. https://t.co/z9hkcEJBGG

— The Texan (@TheTexanNews) March 12, 2025

If Phelan’s bill passes, the government will decide what counts as “real” and “fake” political speech—a terrifying precedent.

Politics is a tough business.

If you can’t handle criticism, you don’t belong in the arena.

Instead of accepting defeat gracefully after his humiliating removal as Texas House Speaker, Phelan is lashing out against free expression.

He should be out of office altogether, not crafting laws that undermine the First Amendment.

This bill sets a dangerous precedent.

Censorship is always a slippery slope, and the government should not have the power to dictate what political speech is allowed.

If Phelan gets his way, who’s to say what speech will be next on the chopping block?

The Bottom Line

Dade Phelan’s bill is a disgraceful attempt to criminalize political satire and protect himself from criticism.

If enacted, it could stifle free speech and open the door to government censorship of political expression.

The First Amendment is clear—political speech, even if critical or satirical, must remain protected.