Are California Democrats really going to cave to ISPs and sell out net neutrality less than two weeks before the FCC repeal goes into effect?
This is unreal. The California Senate was expected to vote today on SB 822, considered to be the strongest and most comprehensive state level net neutrality bill in the country.
But the bill hasn’t gotten a vote yet, and based on reports from Sacramento it appears that Democratic state senators from California may be caving to pressure from AT&T, Comcast, and other big ISPs, and scuttling the bill, despite the fact that the FCC’s resoundingly unpopular repeal of net neutrality protections goes into effect in less than two weeks, on June 11th.
Everyone in California needs to call their State Senators right now. Call 916–823–9612 and it will connect you directly. Tell them to support SB 822 and not cave to pressure from AT&T and Comcast.
According to net neutrality supporters on the ground, big ISPs have hired up more than 40 contract lobbyists, and have sent their top DC staff to Sacramento in an all out effort to kill SB 822. They’re circulating disgustingly misleading “fact sheets” and pounding the Capitol with misinformation.
Perhaps most disturbingly, these giant corporations are spreading lies claiming that restoring net neutrality would be somehow harmful for low income people and communities of color in California, despite the fact that organizations like Color of Change and the Center for Media Justice are leading the charge to pass SB 822 to ensure that the Internet remains free and open as a platform for marginalized voices.
Unfortunately, there is a long history of telecom companies using astroturf to exploit the real concerns of underserved communities. But it appears that some California democrats may be falling for it.
This net neutrality fight in California has implications for the whole country. Or rather, the whole Internet. These Democrats should know they can’t get away with voting against the free and open Internet just days before the Trump administration’s resoundingly unpopular repeal of net neutrality goes into effect. Call right now and tell them the whole world is watching. Only a flood of phone calls from outraged California residents will ensure that this bill passes.
Call 916–823–9612 and enter your zip code to get connected to your California State Senator.
Then make sure these Senators hear from you too. The ISPs’ lobbyists are working hard on them:
- Senator Steven Bradford: (916) 651–4035
- Senator Ed Hernandez: (916) 651–4022
- Senator Holly Mitchell: (916) 651–4030
- Senator Richard Roth: (916) 651–4031
- Senator Anthony Portantino: (916) 651–4025
- Senator Richard Pan: (916) 651–4006
- Senator Cathleen Galgiani: (916) 651–4005
- Senator Josh Newman: 916-651-4029
Pro-tip: if you’re not in California, but you are on Facebook, you can use this link to pull up a list of your friends who do live in California, and encourage them to call 916–823–9612 in support of SB 822! Please share. If the bill doesn’t get a vote by the end of this week, it dies for good.
