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Dear Friend,
Demand Progress has some big news to share with you: We have plans to launch a huge, groundbreaking new campaign to win back net neutrality in 2020.
Step one is to pass strong net neutrality protections in the states, taking advantage of a recent federal court decision reversing Ajit Pai’s efforts to block state action.1
Step two is to stop any bad net neutrality legislation in Congress that would take away states' authority to protect net neutrality or undermine nationwide protections for the free and open internet.
Step three is to make sure the next president—whoever that is—is committed to reinstating net neutrality and firing Ajit Pai.
So we’ve designed a hard-hitting, on-the-ground campaign to pass net neutrality state by state, and we’re sharing it with you below. But big plans cost big bucks, and Big Cable is lobbying hard in Congress and state legislatures to stop us.
California has already passed its own gold-standard net neutrality legislation, and we know if we get other states to follow suit, AT&T, Comcast, and the rest of Big Cable would have no choice but to stop throttling sites and putting us into internet slow lanes.
Our plan is already working. Twenty-nine states introduced net neutrality legislation in 2019, and just before the end of the year, the governor of New York, the third most populous state in the country, announced a plan to pass gold-standard legislation as well.2
But in 2020, much of that legislation has to be reintroduced in order to pass, and Big Cable is fighting back. And AT&T and Comcast are pouring millions of dollars into lobbying in Congress to try to convince legislators to pass legislation that will block these state laws.
So here’s the strategy we’ve developed to defeat AT&T, Verizon, and the other corporate ISPs:
- Hire state-level coordinators and lobbyists to assist states in drafting and passing their own net neutrality legislation.
- Place organizers and activists in the states that need the most grassroots support to let legislators know that more than 80% of the public wants a return to net neutrality.
- Use state-level email and phone call digital tools to connect constituents to their lawmakers and recruit for rallies and other actions.
- Hire dedicated in-state communications support to help pitch stories in local news outlets, post billboards, and run digital ads.
In the meantime, Big Cable will be pushing hard to get their allies in Congress to block state action by passing nationwide net neutrality legislation that would restore the federal preemption. And in the presidential campaign, we need to make sure that every candidate clearly states what they will do to protect the free and open internet.
To pull off a campaign of this scope against Big Cable won’t be cheap or easy, and we’re counting on your help.
If Demand Progress doesn’t raise $20,000 between now and December 31, we’re going to have to cut back on this and our other important campaigns. We have fought for net neutrality since we were founded almost decade ago. With victory in sight, we can’t give up now.
Will you rush a donation to Demand Progress and help save net neutrality in 2020?
Thanks for your support.
Mark Stanley
Director of Communications and Operations, Demand Progress
Sources:
1. CNet, "California lawmakers give thumbs-up to 'gold standard' net neutrality bill,” September 1, 2018.
2. National Conference of State Legislatures, “Net Neutrality 2019 Legislation,” October 1, 2019.
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