The humor police are at it again.

The Babylon Bee is fighting a third state's censorship law that criminalizes satirical political memes. (No, that's not a joke.)

First it was California. Then it was Hawaii. This time, it's New Mexico, where legislators passed a law censoring political speech that uses artificial intelligence, as The Bee frequently does to generate the images that illustrate its "fake news" stories.

Under HB 182, The Bee would be forced to post a disclaimer at the beginning of every story stating that it has been "manipulated or generated by artificial intelligence"—effectively killing the entire joke. HB 182 applies to any political speech the state government deems "deceptive"—including satire, parody, and political commentary.

For the third time in two years, Alliance Defending Freedom is standing with The Babylon Bee. Thankfully, we won the lawsuits that nullified California and Hawaii's laws—but that was only possible because of generous support from readers like you.

HB 182 shreds the First Amendment in multiple ways. It regulates speech from certain people with certain views, and it compels them to carry a government-prescribed message. When those things are combined, it chills speech from anyone who disagrees with the government's preferred viewpoint—and that's a big step down the road toward totalitarianism. The U.S. Supreme Court has repeatedly affirmed that satire and parody are core forms of protected speech.

Whether it's spoken, written, or generated using AI, free speech isn't a luxury—it's a God-given right, and the U.S. Constitution doesn't allow the government to censor it.

But we need your help to continue protecting that freedom. Will you stand alongside The Babylon Bee by signing the petition below?

We can't allow the government to get away with censorship. Your signature today will send a message to government officials nationwide that you believe satire is protected by the First Amendment, and what they're doing is unconstitutional.

You've got to fight for your right to be funny, because free speech is no laughing matter.

Please partner with us in standing against this extreme governmental overreach by signing the petition.

Logan Spena
Legal Counsel
Alliance Defending Freedom

P.S. No government can decide what political speech is true or punish individuals or organizations for espousing views it doesn't like. Stand with The Bee against censorship today!

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