States Push Back After Net Neutrality Repeal<br />State Representative Norma Smith, a Republican who introduced the other bill in Washington, said net neutrality was an important safeguard for small businesses<br />that might not be able to pay internet service companies for fast speeds.<br />Lawmakers in at least six states, including California and New York, have introduced bills in recent weeks<br />that would forbid internet providers to block or slow down sites or online services.<br />“There tends to be a follow-on effect, particularly when something happens in a big state like California,” said Harold Feld,<br />a senior vice president at nonprofit consumer group, Public Knowledge, which supports net neutrality efforts by the states.<br />“When Washington, D. C., takes away that protection, we must protect net neutrality for our people, for our businesses<br />and for the virtues of free speech,” Mr. Inslee, a Democrat, said.<br />The Federal Communications Commission’s new order, which rolled back rules passed in 2015, blocks state<br />and city governments from creating their own net neutrality laws.<br />makes it out to be,” said State Representative Drew Hansen, a Democrat who has<br />introduced one of two net neutrality bills in Washington in recent weeks.<br />But the state lawmakers argue that they have an obligation to protect consumers with net neutrality rules and<br />that local governments can approve or deny requests by telecommunications providers to operate in their states.
