House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi has put in a plug for California legislation restoring the network neutrality rules that were eliminated last week.
That came in a letter to Assembly Communications & Conveyance Committee Chairman Miguel Santiago, whose committee is holding a hearing on two net neutrality bills Wednesday (June 20).
Pelosi shared the desire to "correct" the FCC's misguided decision, pointing out that the Senate had voted to reverse it, and the House was "close," though that may be some wishful thinking, since the last count had the House effort to nullify the reg rollback lacked not only any Republicans, but quite a few Democrats, putting it several dozen legislators short of the needed 218 to force a floor vote.
Related: Bet Reg Rule Rollback Fans: Sky Isn't Falling
"Californians deserve the strong protections they had on the internet until last week , and I am pleased that your committee will be taking up two net neutrality bills," she said.
The bills would prevent blocking, throttling or paid prioritization, apply net neutrality rules to interconnections, and require any ISPs contracting with the state to pledge to uphold those rules.
Senators Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco), sponsor of one of the bills, tweeted Pelosi's letter:
[embed]https://twitter.com/Scott_Wiener/status/1008883161143566337[/embed]
At press time, net neutrality activists were saying that Santiago might not allow the two bills to be linked, as their Democratic sponsors sought, and allege that loopholes were creeping into the bills to benefit ISPs lobbying against the legislation.
The FCC's Restoring Internet Freedom Order rolling back the rules includes a provision preventing states from trying to create their own rules, so a legal fight is looming.
