DES MOINES, Iowa - A bill targeting tech companies with operations in Iowa will move forward in the state legislature.
It would remove major tax breaks given to companies such as Apple, Google, Microsoft and Facebook if a judge found they violated free speech laws.
The Republican backed bill comes after prominent figures such as former President Trump were kicked off Twitter and Facebook.
The bill has passed a major deadline set for today and can now advance in the legislature.
Republican backers of the legislation say the tech companies have improperly censored online content, notably conservative speech.
Democrats have opposed the bill in committee, saying it would kill off the tech industry in the state.
Facebook has major operations in Altoona while Microsoft has locations in West Des Moines, Amazon in Bondurant, Google in Council Bluffs. Apple also has plans for a data center in Waukee.