SUBSCRIBE TO OUR FREE NEWSLETTER
Daily news & progressive opinion—funded by the people, not the corporations—delivered straight to your inbox.
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
The FCC's repeal of nationwide net neutrality protections provoked massive protests across the country. (Photo: @LiberalResist/Twitter)
Net Neutrality Advocates Hopeful as California Bill Advances Despite Lobbyists' Attack
"Their army of lobbyists was no match for California residents."
Apr 18, 2018
Despite concerns that California state lawmakers would cave to lobbyists for the telecommunications industry, legislation that's been called the "gold standard" for state-level net neutrality protections cleared its first hurdle on the way to becoming law.
Senate Bill 822, authored by state Sen. Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco), passed the Energy, Utilities, and Communications Committee and now advances to the Judiciary Committee. The legislation would reinstate and build upon the FCC's recently repealed rules for internet service providers. ISPs, as they are known, have responded with an intense lobbying effort to water down the bill.
\u201cToday, the Senate Energy Committee passed my bill to protect #NetNeutrality in California, #SB822. The bill passed with its strong protections fully intact. Thank you colleagues! Now on to the Judiciary Committee.\u201d— Senator Scott Wiener (@Senator Scott Wiener) 1524014436
The progress late Tuesday was a relief for net neutrality advocates, who had grown alarmed ahead of the hearing, after Democratic state lawmakers put out a report that read "like it was literally written by lobbyists for AT&T and Comcast." While celebrating the step forward, they stressed the importance of maintaining pressure on state legislators to reject industry demands.
"ISPs did everything in their power to try to stop this bill, but even their army of lobbyists was no match for California residents who used the internet to mobilize," Fight for the Future deputy director Evan Greer said in a statement. "Monopolistic ISPs will undoubtedly continue their crusade to weaken or kill the bill, but internet users will fight them every step of the way."
Greer added that "Congress should also take note, and pass the CRA resolution to restore strong net neutrality protections for all."
U.S. Sen. Ed Markey (D-Mass.) has introduced a resolution that would restore protections at a federal level, but the measure needs support from one more Republican senator to pass, and members of Congress only have one more month before they can no longer take action to challenge the FCC's rollback.
\u201cThe clock is ticking. We have just 31 legislative days left to find #OneMoreVote to save #NetNeutrality. \n\nBut don\u2019t agonize, organize! Keep making noise!\n \nWe need to restore #NetNeutrality because the internet should be for everybody, not just Verizon, Charter, AT&T, & Comcast.\u201d— Ed Markey (@Ed Markey) 1524064219
An Unconstitutional Rampage
Trump and Musk are on an unconstitutional rampage, aiming for virtually every corner of the federal government. These two right-wing billionaires are targeting nurses, scientists, teachers, daycare providers, judges, veterans, air traffic controllers, and nuclear safety inspectors. No one is safe. The food stamps program, Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid are next. It’s an unprecedented disaster and a five-alarm fire, but there will be a reckoning. The people did not vote for this. The American people do not want this dystopian hellscape that hides behind claims of “efficiency.” Still, in reality, it is all a giveaway to corporate interests and the libertarian dreams of far-right oligarchs like Musk. Common Dreams is playing a vital role by reporting day and night on this orgy of corruption and greed, as well as what everyday people can do to organize and fight back. As a people-powered nonprofit news outlet, we cover issues the corporate media never will, but we can only continue with our readers’ support. |
Our work is licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0). Feel free to republish and share widely.
Despite concerns that California state lawmakers would cave to lobbyists for the telecommunications industry, legislation that's been called the "gold standard" for state-level net neutrality protections cleared its first hurdle on the way to becoming law.
Senate Bill 822, authored by state Sen. Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco), passed the Energy, Utilities, and Communications Committee and now advances to the Judiciary Committee. The legislation would reinstate and build upon the FCC's recently repealed rules for internet service providers. ISPs, as they are known, have responded with an intense lobbying effort to water down the bill.
\u201cToday, the Senate Energy Committee passed my bill to protect #NetNeutrality in California, #SB822. The bill passed with its strong protections fully intact. Thank you colleagues! Now on to the Judiciary Committee.\u201d— Senator Scott Wiener (@Senator Scott Wiener) 1524014436
The progress late Tuesday was a relief for net neutrality advocates, who had grown alarmed ahead of the hearing, after Democratic state lawmakers put out a report that read "like it was literally written by lobbyists for AT&T and Comcast." While celebrating the step forward, they stressed the importance of maintaining pressure on state legislators to reject industry demands.
"ISPs did everything in their power to try to stop this bill, but even their army of lobbyists was no match for California residents who used the internet to mobilize," Fight for the Future deputy director Evan Greer said in a statement. "Monopolistic ISPs will undoubtedly continue their crusade to weaken or kill the bill, but internet users will fight them every step of the way."
Greer added that "Congress should also take note, and pass the CRA resolution to restore strong net neutrality protections for all."
U.S. Sen. Ed Markey (D-Mass.) has introduced a resolution that would restore protections at a federal level, but the measure needs support from one more Republican senator to pass, and members of Congress only have one more month before they can no longer take action to challenge the FCC's rollback.
\u201cThe clock is ticking. We have just 31 legislative days left to find #OneMoreVote to save #NetNeutrality. \n\nBut don\u2019t agonize, organize! Keep making noise!\n \nWe need to restore #NetNeutrality because the internet should be for everybody, not just Verizon, Charter, AT&T, & Comcast.\u201d— Ed Markey (@Ed Markey) 1524064219
Despite concerns that California state lawmakers would cave to lobbyists for the telecommunications industry, legislation that's been called the "gold standard" for state-level net neutrality protections cleared its first hurdle on the way to becoming law.
Senate Bill 822, authored by state Sen. Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco), passed the Energy, Utilities, and Communications Committee and now advances to the Judiciary Committee. The legislation would reinstate and build upon the FCC's recently repealed rules for internet service providers. ISPs, as they are known, have responded with an intense lobbying effort to water down the bill.
\u201cToday, the Senate Energy Committee passed my bill to protect #NetNeutrality in California, #SB822. The bill passed with its strong protections fully intact. Thank you colleagues! Now on to the Judiciary Committee.\u201d— Senator Scott Wiener (@Senator Scott Wiener) 1524014436
The progress late Tuesday was a relief for net neutrality advocates, who had grown alarmed ahead of the hearing, after Democratic state lawmakers put out a report that read "like it was literally written by lobbyists for AT&T and Comcast." While celebrating the step forward, they stressed the importance of maintaining pressure on state legislators to reject industry demands.
"ISPs did everything in their power to try to stop this bill, but even their army of lobbyists was no match for California residents who used the internet to mobilize," Fight for the Future deputy director Evan Greer said in a statement. "Monopolistic ISPs will undoubtedly continue their crusade to weaken or kill the bill, but internet users will fight them every step of the way."
Greer added that "Congress should also take note, and pass the CRA resolution to restore strong net neutrality protections for all."
U.S. Sen. Ed Markey (D-Mass.) has introduced a resolution that would restore protections at a federal level, but the measure needs support from one more Republican senator to pass, and members of Congress only have one more month before they can no longer take action to challenge the FCC's rollback.
\u201cThe clock is ticking. We have just 31 legislative days left to find #OneMoreVote to save #NetNeutrality. \n\nBut don\u2019t agonize, organize! Keep making noise!\n \nWe need to restore #NetNeutrality because the internet should be for everybody, not just Verizon, Charter, AT&T, & Comcast.\u201d— Ed Markey (@Ed Markey) 1524064219
We've had enough. The 1% own and operate the corporate media. They are doing everything they can to defend the status quo, squash dissent and protect the wealthy and the powerful. The Common Dreams media model is different. We cover the news that matters to the 99%. Our mission? To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. How? Nonprofit. Independent. Reader-supported. Free to read. Free to republish. Free to share. With no advertising. No paywalls. No selling of your data. Thousands of small donations fund our newsroom and allow us to continue publishing. Can you chip in? We can't do it without you. Thank you.