Mock-up of the crowdfunded billboard net neutrality supporters plan to put up in Los Angeles

Last Wednesday, California Assemblymember Miguel Santiago became internet infamous for eviscerating the California net neutrality bill SB 822, leaving it full of loopholes demanded by ISPs. Before the amendments, SB 822 was the only state level bill to restore all of the net neutrality protections that FCC repealed on June 11.

Assemblyman Santiago seems to think that people don’t really care about the details of net neutrality, and will just forget all about this. So net neutrality activists are crowdfunding a billboard to prove him wrong, and make sure that his constituents know exactly what he’s doing in their name.

Santiago, who counts AT&T and other ISPs among his top donors, is the chairman of the Communications and Conveyance Committee. In an extremely undemocratic hearing last week, he used his powers as chair to force a vote on his hostile amendments, refusing to allow testimony or public comment before the vote.

California State Senator Scott Wiener, the original author of SB 822, has said that he is working with Santiago in an attempt to restore the crucial protections that were stripped from the bill. Fight for the Future hopes that Santiago helps restore all the protections and that the billboard will prove unnecessary, in which case the funds raised with be used for other net neutrality activism.

If you can, please chip in toward the cost of the billboard, and please click here to call key members of the California Assembly and tell them to restore SB822 to its original form and pass real net neutrality legislation.