Minnesota and Washington State Plan Net Neutrality Lawsuit

net neutrality lawsuitWashington state Attorney General Bob Ferguson announced that he would file a net neutrality lawsuit, becoming the latest state attorney general to announce a challenge to the repeal.

His announcement comes shortly after the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), led by Republican FCC Chairman Ajit Pai, voted Thursday to roll back the Obama-era rules in a 3-2 vote down party lines.

Ferguson positioned his suit as an attempt to thwart the Trump administration’s moves to roll back regulations across the government.

“We are the 5-0 against the Trump Administration because they often fail to follow the law when taking executive action,” he said in a statement. (More at The Hill)

Minnesota Moves to Sue FCC:

Joining the large coalition of states and advocacy groups preparing to take legal action against the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) over its newly passed net neutrality repeal plan, Minnesota Attorney General Lori Swanson announced in an email to supporters on Tuesday that she will take part in a multi-state suit against the Republican-controlled agency in an effort to “overturn” its attack on the open internet.

“Net neutrality is essential for consumers and an informed electorate,” Swanson wrote. “Without net neutrality, broadband companies are free to block content they don’t want you to see, to slow it down and make it harder to access, or to prioritize content based on who pays them money. This will make it more difficult and more expensive for consumers to access the content they want.”

More on the net neutrality lawsuit at Common Dreams