ISP-backed fake net neutrality bills would ban states from enacting protections like the ones California just proposed

California’s state legislature just introduced a bill that would provide the strongest net neutrality protections in the US, even more comprehensive than the ones the FCC repealed in December.

If this law passes, it would protect California’s more than 39 million residents from a long list of ISP abuses, from blocking and throttling to new tolls and fees to so-called “zero rating” scams that let Internet providers manipulate which websites you use by cutting special deals around data use.

But members of Congress backed by the telecom lobby are pushing for Federal legislation that would BAN states from enacting their own protections, like the bill California is considering or the ones that already passed in Washington and Oregon.

Rep Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), who has taken a whopping $600,000 from ISPs over the course of her career, and Senator John Kennedy (R-LA), who has taken more than $50,000, deceptively titled their bill the “Open Internet Preservation Act.” With help from an army of ISP lobbyists and astroturf groups, they’re trying to pass this bill off as saving net neutrality while really it opens the floodgates for ISPs to charge new fees and control what we see online.

Fortunately, their bill has almost no chance of passing. But it’s true goal is to sow confusion, and derail momentum for the Congressional Review Act (CRA) resolutions that are picking up steam in both the Senate and the House. The CRA would allow Congress to completely reverse the FCC’s repeal of net neutrality, and restore protections for Internet users everywhere.

The Senate resolution only needs one more vote to pass. But the closer we get to victory, the dirtier the ISPs are fighting. The only thing that can combat their corrupting influence is massive numbers of phone calls and emails from constituents. Please contact your lawmakers right now and tell them to oppose fake ISP-backed legislation and support the CRA resolution to block the FCC’s repeal of net neutrality.