He replaced gun owner with journalist in the bill. Update to this previous story.

Via WACH:

An Upstate lawmaker, who came under fire last week for suggesting that all journalists should have to register, said his new proposal is not a joke at a news conference Tuesday.

Republican Mike Pitts said he never wanted to require reporters to register with the state, but the backlash made his point.

“The press, you guys, the media, readily defended the First Amendment; brought your swords out when you thought there was a challenge first amendment,” said Pitts.

The former law enforcement officer turned state representative modeled his proposal after the state’s concealed weapons permit law to spark discussion about treating the right to free speech more importantly than gun rights in the state.

“To exercise my Second Amendment right to bear arms anyone can own one, but to bear it i have to register it. It (the bill) simply registers your pen in the same manner,” stated Pitts.

He stated that reporters need to report facts and use, what he called, a misrepresentation of himself in the media during the debate on the Confederate flag as his proving point on how facts are not always provided.