Campaign Action
The opposition to FCC Chairman Ajit Pai's net neutrality repeal has galvanized, and galvanized quickly. In a matter of a month's time (including the holiday week) 50 senators have joined together to force an upcoming vote to overturn the repeal, which is lightning speed for senators. Additionally, 21 states and the District of Columbia have joined in a lawsuit to block the FCC's new rule.
The states suing the FCC are New York, California, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Iowa, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Mississippi, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, and Washington. That's every US state with a Democratic attorney general. Republican state attorneys general did not join the petition.
"The petition is the first step by states to attempt to block the FCC's decision, and it will allow the attorneys general to move forward with the appeal in the future," said an announcement from Washington State Attorney General Bob Ferguson. […]
"Allowing powerful special interests to act as the Internet's gatekeepers harms consumers, innovation, and small businesses," Ferguson said. "We believe the FCC acted unlawfully when it gutted net neutrality, and I look forward to holding the FCC accountable to the rule of law." The suit is being led by New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman.
Public Knowledge and New America's Open Technology Institute, advocacy groups on net neutrality, have also filed petitions. These filings are "protective petition for review," basically a notice to the courts that the states will sue as soon as the 10-day window for filing suits is open, ensuring them the right to sue. Their petition to the court says that the FCC's net neutrality repeal "is arbitrary, capricious, and an abuse of discretion within the meaning of the Administrative Procedure Act; violates federal law, including, but not limited to, the Constitution, the Communications Act of 1934, as amended, and FCC regulations promulgated thereunder; conflicts with the notice-and‐comment rule-making requirements of 5 U.S.C. § 553; and is otherwise contrary to law."
Beyond this, California, Nebraska, and Washington lawmakers have introduced state legislation to enact open internet protections at the state level. This. Fight. Is. On.
Trump's FCC and Big Cable are trying to destroy net neutrality—but we can still stop them. Tell Congress to oppose Trump FCC's plan to destroy net neutrality and the open internet.