Friend,

Can you feel that October chill in the air? As fun as spooky season is, too many families are haunted by something far scarier than a ghost: Because of corporate greed, households across the country are forced to choose between heating their homes through the winter and keeping their kids connected to the internet so they can do their homework. Thankfully, members of the House of Representatives recently reintroduced an urgent call to treat utilities as basic human rights that are necessary for communities to thrive.

Safe, affordable and reliable access to water, electricity and high-speed internet comprise the essential infrastructure of modern society. But powerful corporations charge way too much for these utilities, and it’s past time for lawmakers to intervene.

As more and more of what we do every day — work, banking, communicating with loved ones — transitions online, the need for affordable internet access becomes all the more urgent. This is also a major equity issue since the digital divide impacts Black, Brown and Indigenous communities the most.

We can and must do better: Sign our petition calling on members of Congress to support the Resolution Recognizing the Human Rights to Utilities.

Thank you for your support,

Heather Franklin
Internet Campaign Director
Free Press Action