These California Democrats hold the fate of net neutrality in their hands. And they’ve taken a ton of money from telecom
This Wednesday, California’s strong net neutrality bill SB 822 returns to the scene of the crime — the California Assembly’s Communications and Conveyance committee — and we have to make sure it doesn’t get murdered by AT&T lobbyists. This is the same committee that gutted SB 822 during a hearing last month, ripping out key protections during a vote on amendments that was held even before testimony was heard.
Fortunately, after massive public outcry and threats of a crowdfunded billboard, the committee chairman Miguel Santiago is now on our side supporting the bill. But four of the nine Democrats on the committee still have not committed to voting for the bill that would restore, for Californians, all of the core protections from the 2015 Net Neutrality order.
At the top of the wavering list? Evan Low, a progressive Democrat on the Assembly tech caucus who represents part of Silicon Valley. He’s taken nearly $100,000 in donations from the telecom industry.
Call the committee members right now to tell them to pass SB 822 and resist attempts by their ISP donors to water it down:
- Evan Low | (916) 319–2028 | @evan_low
- Eduardo Garcia | (916) 319–2056 | @AsmEGarciaAD56
- Sharon Quirk-Silva | 916–319–2065 | @quirksilva65th
- Freddie Rodriguez | (916) 319–2052 | @AsmRodriguez52
Net neutrality is NOT a partisan issue. But it’s unclear why these four Democrats won’t commit to not killing SB 822 again; given that net neutrality has overwhelming support in California and their districts; the state Democratic party endorsed net neutrality; FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler supports the bill, as does the rest of the Democratic Congressional leadership.
It’s going to be embarrassing for California if it’s Democratic-controlled legislature can’t get a strong net neutrality bill to an Assembly floor vote, while in D.C., a bipartisan Senate majority passed the CRA to restore the 2015 protections. Please share this widely and put these Democrats on blast. They need to know the whole Internet is watching.
If you live in California, click here to call your own Assembly members!
