The media nonprofit Independent Media Council applauded Florida lawmakers on Tuesday for approving a provision in the state budget that essentially stands up to "media blacklists."

The state legislature passed the $114 billion budget for the 2026-2027 fiscal year last week, which now goes to Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis' desk for his signature. 

The budget includes a provision that prohibits state agencies from using advertising and marketing companies that employ politically biased media-monitoring systems such as NewsGuard, Ad Fontes and the Global Disinformation Index.

“Florida lawmakers deserve credit for continuing to stand up against politically driven media blacklist systems that distort advertising markets and suppress viewpoints,” IMC spokesperson Christine Czernejewski said in a statement. "Taxpayer-funded advertising should maximize public reach — not be filtered through ideological gatekeepers masquerading as neutral watchdogs."

The provision comes after Florida included a similar measure in the 2025-2026 budget last year, which made the state a national leader on the issue. West Virginia recently followed Florida by passing similar protections in its First Amendment Preservation Act.

The nonprofit said Congress has also adopted similar language in its National Defense Authorization Act by banning the Pentagon from using advertising agencies that use "misinformation-monitoring systems" when placing military recruitment ads. 

DeSantis is expected to sign the state budget before its July 1 deadline. 

Misty Severi is a news reporter for Just The News. You can follow her on X for more coverage.