Lawmakers in California have sent a new net neutrality bill to Governor Jerry Brown in the hopes of restoring regulations.
The bill was approved by the California Assembly 58-17 and later the Senate 27-12. With both houses approving the bill, it only needs Governor Brown’s signature to become law. The move is a rebuke of Trump’s FCC, which negated the Obama-era net neutrality laws earlier this year. The california bill makes it illegal for internet providers to throttle or block content, or offer provide paid prioritization (fast lanes). Governor Brown has not said if he will sign the bill.
The FCC’s move to relax the rules was seen as a win for internet providers. Chairman Ajit Pai believes the industry will self regulate and has left oversight to the FTC. Many do not share in that belief. The attorneys general from nearly two dozen states have beseeched the federal appeals court to reinstate net neutrality. In May, the U.S. Senate voted to restore the rules, though the House did not.
