SB 822 passes Assembly, 58-17. Legislation now heads back to the Senate for final approval.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 30, 2018
Contact: Robert Cruickshank, Campaign Director, (831) 402-2365, robert@demandprogress.org
In an historic move, the California State Assembly has passed SB 822, 58-17, which restores net neutrality protections that the FCC gutted last December in the largest state in the nation, and home of many of the world’s largest and most influential tech companies. The legislation now heads back to the Senate for final approval and then on to Governor Jerry Brown’s desk.
“This bill is the strongest legislation restoring and defending net neutrality protections in any state -- and prevents internet service providers from blocking, throttling, slowing content, or engaging in anti-consumer practices like zero-rating,” said Carli Stevenson, Campaigner for Demand Progress. “This legislation is the gold standard for net neutrality protections, and passed thanks to the enormous grassroots push for the bill. This should send a message to other states as well as to members of Congress -- Americans are serious about the importance of net neutrality, and are ready and willing to fight for their right to create, communicate, and engage online without giant ISPs serving as gatekeepers.”
Californians were recently reminded of the urgency in passing this bill when Verizon throttled data speeds for the Santa Clara County Fire Department earlier this summer during the outbreak of what became the Mendocino Complex fire. SB 822 will give the Attorney General the power to investigate and enforce provisions preventing this from happening again.
Thousands of Demand Progress members in California signed petitions, sent emails, and made phone calls to their state legislators in the weeks and months in the lead up to the vote.
“We call on the state Senate to quickly get this bill to Governor Brown’s desk so he can sign it without delay,” said Carli Stevenson for Demand Progress.
###