Abbott signs HB20 and defends viewpoint protections
Greg AbbottGovernor of Texas
Abbott supports HB20 as protection for expression and criticizes platform restrictions on conservative viewpoints.
“proud to sign House Bill 20 into law to protect first amendment rights in the Lone Star State”
Official statement
Where this statement fits
NetChoice challenges Florida and Texas social-media moderation laws
Florida and Texas enacted restrictions on social-media moderation in 2021. Texas defends HB20 as an antidiscrimination law; NetChoice argues it compels private speech. The Supreme Court sent both cases back in 2024. The later rulings described here do not establish the laws' present enforceability.
Source and context
Official statement
About this source
Abbott defends the law as protection for Texans' expression and criticizes platform treatment of conservative viewpoints. This is the historical signing statement.
Before the quotation
Abbott issued the statement at HB20's signing in September 2021.
After the quotation
He describes HB20 as protection for Texans' expression against platform censorship.
How this statement is classified
The label describes this statement's response within the context above.
Why this label?
The issue is Florida SB7072 and Texas HB20 restrictions on platform content moderation. He expressly supports the law limiting moderation decisions.
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More from this case
Read the full caseTexas defends HB20 as an antidiscrimination law
“The Fifth Circuit correctly held, however, that HB20 regulates the platforms’ conduct, not their expression.”Read statement
NetChoice and CCIA argue HB20 violates the First Amendment
NetChoice
“Texas House Bill 20 (“HB20”) is an extraordinary assertion of governmental power over expression that violates the First Amendment in multiple ways.”Read statement
DeSantis signs Florida's moderation law and defends its protections
“If Big Tech censors enforce rules inconsistently, to discriminate in favor of the dominant Silicon Valley ideology, they will now be held accountable.”Read statement
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The Dispute Index. "Abbott signs HB20 and defends viewpoint protections". First published: 2026-10-16. Last updated: 2026-10-16. https://disputeindex.com/events/5829-abbott-supports-hb20-as-protection-for-expression-and