Nebraska becomes first Republican state to attempt to save net neutrality rules from being gutted by FCC
09 Jan 2018
Nebraska has become the first Republican-controlled state to launch its own attempt to save net neutrality rules.
On Friday, state senator Adam Morfeld (D) introduced legislation in the state legislature for legal provisions to protect neutrality at the state level.
Under the bill, broadband providers like AT&T and Comcast would be barred from slowing down or blocking internet content and from striking deals with content companies for faster connection speeds.
Whether the bill would pass in Nebraska legislature is not clear, but according to Morfeld who spoke to The Lincoln Star Journal, it has already garnered bipartisan support across the state's lawmakers.
Similar action is under consideration in California, Washington, New York and Massachusetts after Federal Communications Commission (FCC) chairman Ajit Pai (R) successfully led a move to scrap the federal regulations in December.
Even if such moves make it through the state legislatures, there may be other challenges. The FCC noted in its order to scrap net neutrality rules, that its measures preclude net neutrality regulations on the state level.
Other lawmakers and state officials are also planning their own efforts to preserve net neutrality rules.
New York attorney general Eric Schneiderman (D) plans to lead a coalition of other states' attorneys general in filing a lawsuit to retain the rules.
