Jay Salvo
State Rep. Jonathan Brostoff (D-Milwaukee) and Sen. Chris Larson (D-Milwaukee) have introduced legislation that would revive net neutrality in Wisconsin—regardless of the recent Federal Communications Commission ruling scrapping these protections.
The lawmakers are responding to the FCC’s vote last month to repeal net neutrality regulations that prohibited broadband providers from censoring content and charging for a higher-quality online experience.
State and local officials pushing back against the Trump administration is not a new trend. Last year, 20 states, 110 cities and more than 1,000 businesses and universities led by California Gov. Jerry Brown and former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg went against Trump’s decision to withdraw from the Paris Climate Accord, pledging as states to continue to uphold the agreement.
Similarly, legislators in at least six states, including California and Washington, have proposed policies to protect internet freedom by preserving net neutrality regulations for their respective states.
“In the face of the seemingly relentless assault on consumer protections coming from Trump, we are standing up and fighting back,” Brostoff said. “Net Neutrality is a defining issue of our generation, and without free and open access to the internet we are putting the very ideals of democracy at risk.”
Net neutrality is a vital tool for communication, education and innovation. Without these regulations, internet providers could throttle diverse content and restrict access to some websites.
You can show your support for preserving internet freedom for all Wisconsinites by signing this petition.
