ACLU-CT Comment on Defeat of Net Neutrality Bill in Connecticut

S.B. 2, a bill that would have protected the open internet in Connecticut in the absence of federal Net Neutrality protections, died in the Connecticut General Assembly's Energy and Technology Committee today through a rarely used procedural process. The following is a reaction from Kaley Lentini, legislative counsel for the ACLU of Connecticut:

“Today’s defeat of a commonsense proposal to protect Net Neutrality in Connecticut is a slap in the face for democracy, free speech, justice, education, health, and small business. Net Neutrality is about the principle that internet service providers shouldn’t get to decide what information we see. Without Net Neutrality, activists may lose an essential platform to call for change, small businesses may lose the chance to grow and compete, and educators and healthcare providers may lose critical platforms to inform students and patients. Legislators who voted against this bill chose the wishes of big internet service provider companies over the needs of everyday people. Connecticut had a chance to follow the lead of Washington state, which passed a law to protect Net Neutrality with wide bipartisan support. Instead, Connecticut residents will be left to fend for themselves in a world where internet service providers have too much power to mess with the free flow of information.”

For the ACLU of Connecticut's previous testimony supporting the bill: https://www.acluct.org/en/legislation/sb-2-act-concerning-internet-service-providers-and-net-neutrality-principles