In Fight Against Trump, CA Unveils Its Own Net Neutrality Plan

CALIFORNIA -- In a move that would undermine the Trump administration, two California senators recently unveiled bills that would protect net neutrality. State Sens. Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco) and Kevin de León (D-Los Angeles) each introduced a bill that would regulate business practices to require net neutrality.

The California senators' efforts come weeks after the Federal Communications Commission voted to repealrules enforcing net neutrality. Lifting the rules, which came into place during the Obama Administration, would potentially give cable and telecom companies the opportunity to maneuver Internet users to less-preferred websites.

The Trump Administration insists lifting the rules will give companies and users more freedom.

“The FCC’s decision to repeal net neutrality is extremely dangerous,” said de León, who is running against U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein. “In today’s digital world, the internet is critical to free expression, free speech, and democracy. Without strong net neutrality rules, there’s nothing to stop the companies that already monopolize the internet from blocking websites or information altogether, so if the Trump Administration won’t protect consumers – the State of California will.”

de León said his bill is necessary to protect the country's most populous state and the 6th largest economy in the world.

In December, Wiener called the FCC move "a big problem for our democracy."

"Without net neutrality, we can have a situation where it's easier to access websites that pay money and harder to access websites that don't pay money," Wiener said. "If we want to have the great democracy that we deserve, we need to have a free and open internet, and that means net neutrality."

California joins state lawmakers from New York to Washington that have also announced legislation to restore net neutrality protections.

--Patch writer Bea Karnes contributed to this report/Photo via Shutterstock