On Wednesday, the California Senate delivered a huge blow to ISPs companies such as Comcast, Verizon and AT&T and huge victory for net neutrality supporters after advancing a net neutrality bill. SB 822 – one of the strongest state bills in the country – was overwhelmingly voted in favor for, 23-12, Digital Music News reported.
“We believe we have a strong argument that California under our police powers has the ability to protect consumers,” Sen. Scott Wiener, sponsor of the bill, said. “This is a comprehensive and aggressive bill in terms of protecting net neutrality. We’re trying to adopt the protections that the FCC abandoned.”
California became the third state, along with Washington State and Oregon, to pass net neutrality legislation that “prohibits paid prioritization, throttling, and site blocking,” Digital Music News reported. But California’s legislation is said to be bolder because it not only build upon the laws of Washington State and Oregon, it is actually taking the approach to “challenge the federal government’s authority to enact net neutrality laws.”
In a press release, Fight for the Future – a non-profit organization campaigning for net neutrality – stated:
“Internet users are furious about the FCC’s disastrous repeal of net neutrality, and theyre mobilizing en masse to get it back by any means necessary. Today the California State Senate read the writing on the wall, sided with the public, and voted to defy Ajit Pai and enact strong protections against ISP censorship and abuse.
Giant telecom companies like AT&T and Comcast hired up dozens of lobbyists in Sacramento and shamelessly spread provably false claims in an attempt to stop SB 822. They failed.
This victory in California shows that net neutrality is here to stay. It’s time for our Federal lawmakers in the House of Representatives to follow the lead of the U.S. Senate and California State Senate, listen to their constituents, tech experts, and small business owners, and vote for the Congressional Review Act (CRA) resolution to restore open Internet protections for all.”
SB 822 will now advance to the California State Assembly.
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