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California Senate Defies FCC, Approves Net Neutrality Law (arstechnica.com)

The California State Senate yesterday approved a bill to impose net neutrality restrictions on Internet service providers, challenging the Federal Communications Commission attempt to preempt such rules. From a report: The FCC's repeal of its own net neutrality rules included a provision to preempt state and municipal governments from enforcing similar rules at the local level. But the governors of Montana and New York have signed executive orders to enforce net neutrality and several states are considering net neutrality legislation.

The FCC is already being sued by t21 states and the District of Columbia, which are trying to reverse the net neutrality repeal and the preemption of state laws. Attempts to enforce net neutrality rules at the state or local level could end up being challenged in separate lawsuits.

54 of 292 comments (clear)

  1. States are out of control by gnick · · Score: 4, Funny

    If we let them get away with this, soon we'll be seeing Schedule 1 narcotics sold in corner shops!

    --
    He's getting rather old, but he's a good mouse.
    1. Re:States are out of control by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Informative

      Actually, I'm more Republican and am all for States rights. Personally, I think the States pushing this is the only way to really to handle the matter, much like Gay Marriage was passed in the majority of States and drove the Federal policy. I think that's actually working as the Constitution was designed. Alternatively, Jury Nullification is a tool the public can use against some of these drug laws.

    2. Re:States are out of control by gnick · · Score: 3, Interesting

      As soon as you allow that, you've **eliminated** the black market for those drugs, with one single swoop of the pen.

      Not true. I live in New Mexico and am a daily cannabis user. In spite of their medicinal program, I assure you that NM still has a thriving black market for pot. I get my weed from the dispensaries, but I could get it cheaper off the streets. The only street-dealers I know details for get their weed from growers in CA.

      everybody wins

      Almost everyone agrees with you. Everyone except this Keebler-elf-turned-evil named Sessions.

      --
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    3. Re:States are out of control by gnick · · Score: 2

      And weed NEVER met the definition of a narcotic, that was just puritanical bullshit by moralising assholes.

      How would you suggest we keep those uppity jazz musicians under control?

      --
      He's getting rather old, but he's a good mouse.
    4. Re:States are out of control by bobbied · · Score: 3, Insightful

      True, and you can now CLAIM to be using legit stuff because there's no way to know either way.

      --
      "File to fit, pound to insert, paint to match" - Aircraft Maintenance 101
    5. Re:States are out of control by king+neckbeard · · Score: 4, Funny

      Metronomes.

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      This is my signature. There are many like it, but this one is mine.
    6. Re:States are out of control by T.E.D. · · Score: 2

      Even in places where its legal, there's still an age associated with that. Juvenile arrests in Colorado actually went up in some communities (the ethnic minority ones) after legalization.

    7. Re:States are out of control by jwhyche · · Score: 3

      Truth. I guess the FCC is learning what all of us have always known. The internet is a self correcting system. It will automatically route around blockages. I guess this works for legislative dumbassary too.

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    8. Re:States are out of control by Frosty+Piss · · Score: 3, Informative
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    9. Re:States are out of control by jwhyche · · Score: 3

      Almost everyone agrees with you. Everyone except this Keebler-elf-turned-evil named Sessions.

      Naw, Keebler elves are bastion of yumminess. They can't turn evil. I'm thinking he looks more like this comic book villain, and acts like him too. Do you suppose if we could get him to say his name backwards he would vanish back to his home dimension, or be sucked up his own asshole? I'm good with ether.

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    10. Re:States are out of control by Locke2005 · · Score: 2

      Gonzales v Raich already set the precedent that State's Rights don't exist, because literally everything could potentially be sold to someone in another state, therefore everything can be regulated by the federal government under the Interstate Commerce Clause.

      --
      I've abandoned my search for truth; now I'm just looking for some useful delusions.
    11. Re: States are out of control by jwhyche · · Score: 2

      The $9/g stuff I get at the dispensary is barely even the same beast as the Mexican schwag

      No surprises there. Everyone knows the Mexican's grow the best.

      This is why you need to elect me president in 2020. I'll legalize it, then I'll work out a deal with Mexico on trade so they can bring it across without use of catapults. I'll make it required mediation for congress and anyone who watches Foxnews or CNN. An of course with anything government there will be a small tax on it.

      This as president I will solve several problems at once. I'll will make America great again by moderating the asshats, solve the countries deficit with one tax program, and at the same time eliminating poverty in Mexico by supplying them with a steady export product.

      Can I have your vote in 2020?

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    12. Re:States are out of control by whoever57 · · Score: 2

      The decision in that case was really just following the precedent set in 1942 in Wickard vs. Filburn

      --
      The real "Libtards" are the Libertarians!
    13. Re:States are out of control by gnick · · Score: 2

      I'm not going to research it right now, but I'll bet more minors were drinking after prohibition ended. Doesn't mean ending prohibition was a bad idea.

      --
      He's getting rather old, but he's a good mouse.
    14. Re:States are out of control by gnick · · Score: 2

      Don't believe everything you read on Wikipedia. I've done extensive research in the area and, although it has profoundly different effects on different people, vomiting and hallucinations are not "common." As in, I've never even heard of a person responding to pot by barfing. Mushrooms, alcohol, yeah. Even tobacco tends to nauseate more than cannabis. You'd have to really stretch the definition of "hallucinations" to fit anything I've seen.

      --
      He's getting rather old, but he's a good mouse.
    15. Re:States are out of control by jwhyche · · Score: 2

      I believe we have photographic proof of your clam.

      https://i.imgflip.com/1qu4bo.j...

      --
      I read at +2. If your post doesn't reach that level I will not see or respond to it.
    16. Re: States are out of control by jwhyche · · Score: 2

      Granted, that I know next to nothing about cannabis. I've only smoked it once in my life, and I've only been drunk once too, and I can say that I didn't care for ether feeling. But that is just me. Honestly, I would rather be around a bunch of people smoking than drinking.

      I've never been to a party where people where drinking and the cops didn't show up at least once. But I still remember my last college party where it was just a bunch of friends and friends of friends sitting around smoking. At some point I went to bed. I woke up the next morning and they had cleaned the house top to bottom, vacuumed, and someone had even organized my comic book collection.

      They call cannabis the devils weed. Funny, I don't see it.

      --
      I read at +2. If your post doesn't reach that level I will not see or respond to it.
    17. Re:States are out of control by hey! · · Score: 4, Informative

      In this case Wikipedia's editor misinerpreted this sentence in the source materials:

      Compared with placebo, cannabinoids were associated with a greater average number of patients showing a complete nausea and vomiting response

      That sentence sounds like pot is causing nausea and vomiting, but in fact it's talking about treating nausea and vomiting with pot so a "complete response" is a total reduction in those symptoms.

      --
      Post may contain irony: discontinue use if experiencing mood swings, nausea or elevated blood pressure.
    18. Re: States are out of control by skam240 · · Score: 2

      I was once an avid pot smoker (I still enjoy occasionally from time to time) and your description of stoned people cleaning completely baffles me. In my experience stoner's homes tend to be less that tidy to be polite

      With that said, stoned people are certainly less abrasive to be around sober than people drinking. Stoned people don't start fights or drama and they don't yell and bother your neighbors. If delivery isn't ordered in a timely manner they will eat you out of house and home though.

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    19. Re: States are out of control by jwhyche · · Score: 2

      To be fair I don't know what happened after I went to bed. For all I know they might have called a maid service, or a pack of cleaning smurfs.

      they will eat you out of house and home though

      Truer words have rarely been said. I do know that when I woke up the next morning there was a bag of Cheetos left alive.

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      I read at +2. If your post doesn't reach that level I will not see or respond to it.
    20. Re: States are out of control by jwhyche · · Score: 2

      Wasn't a bag of cheetos left alive I mean to say.

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      I read at +2. If your post doesn't reach that level I will not see or respond to it.
  2. So much for Republicans supporting states rights by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

    When Republicans talk about "States rights", they really mean the right of states to pass laws that discriminate against people. They do not mean the right for states to establish their own drug laws nor for states to adopt laws like net neutrality.

    See, Republicans only complain about the big bad federal government when they pass laws they don't like. In other words, Republicans want to be bigots, and want to pass laws to support their bigotry, and cry "states rights" only to support their hateful agenda.

  3. Re:Defied? Wasn't this the point? by Kenja · · Score: 5, Informative

    Wasn't the point of striking NN to cede power that the FCC really doesn't have and allow states to figure out what's best for themselves? Or does that not fit the anti-Trump narrative?

    Given that the FCC specifically forbade States and Cities from drafting their own net neutrality legislation, gonna go with "no"?

    --

    "Have you ever thought about just turning off the TV, sitting down with your kids, and hitting them?"
  4. Re:Defied? Wasn't this the point? by Sydin · · Score: 5, Insightful

    The FCC's rollback of Net Neutrality rules was ostensibly predicated on the premise that the FCC "doesn't have the authority" to enforce Net Neutrality. If that's the stance the FCC wants to take that's fine, but they then can't turn around and say they do have the authority to preempt states from adopting their own Net Neutrality measures. You can't have it both ways. Things would be different if Congress had passed a preemption, but as it stands I think the FCC would have a very hard time winning this fight in court given their contradictory statements on their ability to adjudicate how ISP's handle delivery of data.

  5. That's how California rolls by PopeRatzo · · Score: 4, Funny

    So now we've got Net Neutrality, abundant cheap produce, legal weed, blondes in short-shorts, and surfing. It's 75 degrees and sunny on the 30th of January and I'm about to ride my bike down to the beach.

    Suck it, red state losers. You can keep your meth, guns and fat girls. If this is socialism, I'm in for two.

    https://youtu.be/R_q6aRwoV3M

    --
    You are welcome on my lawn.
    1. Re:That's how California rolls by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Insightful

      You do know that California is one of the largest food growers in the country, right? No of course you didn't. That would require intelligence and you are sorely lacking in any. Let's see how long those red states last without California subsidizing their tick like status.

    2. Re:That's how California rolls by jwhyche · · Score: 2

      California imports a great deal of water from the surrounding states, with a lions share of imported water coming from the Colorado river. A simple fact is that California uses more water than it produces. The fact that California has been under a drought for the past few years doesn't help. Here is some reading to bring you up to date on the California water problems.

      https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/...

      https://californiawaterblog.co...

      https://www.mercurynews.com/20...

      California has made great strides in managing its water issues but there still problem. California simply doesn't have native water resources to address its current usage.

      --
      I read at +2. If your post doesn't reach that level I will not see or respond to it.
  6. Re:Defied? Wasn't this the point? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Montana's plan doesn't regulate ISPs and doesn't enforce Net Neutrality rules. Montana just updated their requirements to bid for state contracts to require that any ISP that wants a state contract MUST fully support net neutrality. The FCC can't tell the state not to change requirements for state contracts. They aren't telling ISPs that they can't violate net neutrality, just saying if you want the lucrative contract, you gotta follow it. If no ISPs are willing to do it, then a start up will and they'll get the lucrative state contract and grow and become a local threat. Suddenly it is in the ISPs best interests to follow net neutrality in Montana. And now New York has followed suit. If California is doing the same thing then ISPs are going to be feeling imense financial pressure very soon to just do net neutrality.

    They won the battle at the federal level, but winning that battle unleased full blown war with the states and that is a war they can't win because they depend on states toeing the line. If states start repealing bans on municipal ISPs then it's truly over.

  7. Re:So much for Republicans supporting states right by farble1670 · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Of course, nobody cares about power grabs when it is a grab for power one likes, like net neutrality, but hate it when it is for what one doesn't like, like net neutrality.

    The Rest Of Us make up our minds based on the issue at hand not a party affiliation.

    You ought to try it, comrade.

  8. Re:Defied? Wasn't this the point? by farble1670 · · Score: 2

    Citing information would seriously degrade his TPH (trolls per hour). Not going to happen.

  9. Re:spoiled brats by psycho12345 · · Score: 2, Informative

    Huh? California credit rating has been going up the last few years, is there something missing?

  10. Re: Defied? Wasn't this the point? by Anubis+IV · · Score: 4, Informative

    Got an authorative source for this?

    Would the FCC order itself suffice for you? Directly from the same order that repealed Title II classification for ISPs, the FCC itself said (emphasis mine):

    We therefore preempt any state or local measures that would effectively impose rules or requirements that we have repealed or decided to refrain from imposing in this order or that would impose more stringent requirements for any aspect of broadband service that we address in this order.

    It was fairly trivial to find, given that they put it in the section entitled "Preemption of Inconsistent State and Local Regulations", with that particular quote coming from page 110, paragraph 191. A few paragraphs later they provide an argument for their legal authority to preempt the states, but that authority will doubtless be challenged in court whenever the FCC sues California or vice versa, given that the California bill flies directly in the face of that preemption. The Montana and New York approaches use a backdoor approach to dealing with the issue that doesn't directly defy the FCC's order, so it's entirely possible that they may be allowed to remain in place even if the California bill gets tossed out. Of course, being that they're based on executive orders, the very next governor of those states could easily repeal the order.

    Anyway, going back to (what I assume was) your earlier question:

    Wasn't the point of striking NN to cede power that the FCC really doesn't have and allow states to figure out what's best for themselves? Or does that not fit the anti-Trump narrative?

    No, not only was it not the point, it was explicitly not the point, and as such it fits just fine with the anti-Trump narrative surrounding net neutrality.

  11. Re:So much for Republicans supporting states right by Ryanrule · · Score: 2

    You can take that false equivalency and shove it up your candy ass.

  12. The left rediscovers decentralization? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2

    Contrary to popular myth, the "states rights" tradition goes back to Thomas Jefferson, the ratifying conventions of the Constitution, and the Virginia / Kentucky Resolutions of 1798.

    https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=TrcM5exDxcc

    At the same time, I agree with you that many partisan hacks on the right will have a problem with this, just as many partisan hacks on the left have a problem with his sort of thing when they are in power. The system itself is the problem.

    It is not a left-right issue to think that 535 people, most of whom are no more intelligent than the average American, should rule over 300 million people from a single city located along the banks of a literal swamp called the Potomac River. Sensible people on the left and right should support efforts to decentralize power and bring it back to the community as much as possible.

    1. Re:The left rediscovers decentralization? by gfxguy · · Score: 2

      No, the myth is that uttering the phrase "state's rights" make you racist. it doesn't. I support CA in this. I have, and always will, support states rights over anything not explicitly stated in the constitution as a role of the federal government. This, apparently, makes me racist.

      --
      Stupid sexy Flanders.
    2. Re:The left rediscovers decentralization? by drinkypoo · · Score: 4, Insightful

      No, the myth is that uttering the phrase "state's rights" make you racist. it doesn't.

      It doesn't, but you do have to be aware of the context in which it was originally uttered loudly. And that context was not just preserving slavery, but also asking other states to respect it and send runaways back home. If you don't take that into account when you post about states' rights, you're going to be taken for a racist. I haven't checked up on your posting history, so I don't know that's what's happened, but it's not unlikely.

      --
      "You're right," Fisheye says. "I should have set it on 'whip' or 'chop.'"
    3. Re:The left rediscovers decentralization? by Darinbob · · Score: 2

      It was in the constitution partially in order to get the slave holding states to join the union.

      As for centralized control, this was the original idea of the Republicans, before being diverted in the 60s by the segregationists. The states today are much more homogenous than in the early years, the state borders don't really mean so much these days, people move across borders on a whim, many even commute to their jobs in different state.

      The 535 people are all elected by the people. These are not foreigners who rule from afar, these are people we send from our local district, just the same as the leaders who rule from the state capitols. Just because the majority don't always agree with you does not mean that they are illegitimate rulers. You can change the government, you just need to get out the vote. That's why the tea party seems to be having a lot of influence despite being unknown a couple decades ago, because they managed to get organized. Agree or disagree with them, they did stop whining and got off their buts and did something in an effective way.

    4. Re:The left rediscovers decentralization? by gfxguy · · Score: 2

      It's in discussions completely unrelated to race or the civil war - no matter how you use it, you get labeled a racist. Perhaps not by you, but somebody losing the argument will just call it out, and honest discourse, once again, gets stopped cold. This is the state of political discourse.

      --
      Stupid sexy Flanders.
  13. Re:So much for Republicans supporting states right by DCFusor · · Score: 2

    I know plenty of republicans and even actual conservatives, who are for net neutrality...Yes, Ajit isn't one of them, at least in public. But then he's not an elected politician either - he's a paid lobbyist ...um...temporarily serving as a regulator. Like in all agencies - totally corrupt, and who's in there now has little to do with any one election. We call it "regulatory capture" and "revolving door regulation". Of the two parties - and you should check what practically limits it to two - special laws etc - do you really think either is above this crap? The approval ratings of officials are well below what any party gets in elections, should give you a clue.

    --
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  14. Re:spoiled brats by bobbied · · Score: 2

    Texas... The home of the 5 billion rainy day fund (well, before last summer's hurricane we had one). We are obviously managing our state's resources rather well, even though we don't have a state income tax and only an 8.25% sales tax.

    It may be a hole to you, but we are solvent and able to pay our bills....

    --
    "File to fit, pound to insert, paint to match" - Aircraft Maintenance 101
  15. Re:California is headed for default by MooseTick · · Score: 2

    "The wealthy are fleeing California in record numbers"

    OMG. You're right. At this rate, no one will be left in a few years.
    https://www.google.com/search?...

    Now, I know you said the "weathy". So from 1990-2016 this ( https://www.statista.com/stati... ) shows the per capita income went from 21k to 56k.

  16. Re:So much for Republicans supporting states right by Ichijo · · Score: 2

    Isn't the purpose of belonging to a political party to let someone else do the thinking for you?

    --
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  17. Re:States vs. housing associations by mi · · Score: 2

    You do know that the FCC has asserted it's authority over state, local and land use contracts

    I do indeed. And I disapprove of it as a government overreach.

    But most /.-ers celebrate that, while denouncing the same Comission's other, most recent, overreach — the pre-emption of the State's attempts to impose their own "net neutrality".

    You can approve of both, or reject both. But you can not pick only one of these — and remain self-consistent. That was my point.

    --
    In Soviet Washington the swamp drains you.
  18. Re:California: needles, hobo piss and bankruptcy by PopeRatzo · · Score: 3, Insightful

    * A massive Hepatitis outbreak in San Diego

    That's the shit we tell rust-belt people so they don't come here.

    The beach I'm going to today, I think maybe in Cayucos (there are ten beaches within ten miles of me) is perfectly clean. I mean, I've lived in California since September, and I still haven't seen litter anywhere.

    Also, California now has a $6.1 billion SURPLUS. If you believe that's because of bad calculations, you might want to tell the Wall Street Journal how to use a "calculator's basic functions", because clearly you're the only one who knows how they work.

    https://www.wsj.com/articles/j...

    --
    You are welcome on my lawn.
  19. Re: Defied? Wasn't this the point? by rahvin112 · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Only problem is the FCC can't preempt state laws without a title II classification.

    They've already lost on this several times in court but every successive republican admin tries the same bloody thing to eliminate all regulations by unclassifying internet service but also preempt state rules and every time the court strikes down the attempt to regulate it (preempting state laws is a regulation) when it's unclassified.

    Either it's regulated under Title II and the FCC can set whatever rules they want, or it's not and they can't set ANY rules. The court told the FCC this directly when they lost the initial unregulated NN regulations suit during the Obama years (it was before they reclassified as type II to give them the authority to do so just like the court verdict said). They've only got two choices, they don't get to claim it's an unregulated service and then bar state level action.

    Ajit is just doing his duty as a good Telecom lawyer by trying to have his cake and eat it too by doing what the law doesn't allow him to do. He can't block state regulations on unclassified services. There's at least 3 court rulings on various attempts to get around this Title II problem and the last case was explicit, you can't regulate it unless it's a Title II service, you declare it's an unregulated data service and you can't then place restrictions on either the providers or the states. The FCC's only authority to regulate telecom is under Title II.

  20. Re:California is headed for default by Gavagai80 · · Score: 3, Informative

    Heh. Not only is there no deficit, California has a $6,100,000,000 surplus for this year and projected $19,300,000,000 saved surplus. (source)

    California also has the wealthiest people in the USA by far, which I'll grant you technically means more of them "flee" CA than anywhere else, because to leave you have to exist.

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  21. Re:States vs. housing associations by rahvin112 · · Score: 3

    Here's a simple answer for you. Congress delegated regulatory authority for a few things to the FCC.

    The first and most important delegation is the wireless spectrum, they gave the authority to the FCC to regulate the use of the radio spectrum to prevent interference and maximize the value. This power is essentially unrestricted with regard to wireless transmissions under the conditions Congress placed on the regulation (the FCC can't regulate military communications for example).

    The Second is congress delegated to the FCC the ability to regulate wire-line services declared to be "Title II", basically services deemed to be essential. This power also allows the FCC to decide if something is Title II or not. In the early days of telephone this was to allow the FCC to regulate interstate communication and was later expanded to allow them to regulate the POTS system for things like 911 etc, it later was expanded to cover Cable TV (which was then removed in the 90's with the exception of explicit content) The Title II regulations are the only authority under which the FCC can regulate wire-line services at this time. The last court case the FCC lost explicitly noted this. If it's not Title II, the FCC doesn't have ANY authority to regulate and that includes blocking state level regulation. Without Title II they can't do anything and they've been stomped in courts at least 3 times for trying to do so without the Title II decleration.

  22. Re:California: needles, hobo piss and bankruptcy by rahvin112 · · Score: 2

    Be quiet you, the less people know about how fantastic the weather and amenities are in California the better.

    Say it with me, there are no beaches in California. Everyone is raped and murdered at least once, the state is hopelessly broke and taxes are at 400% and everyone is ugly plus it snows 24/7/365 often 10' at a time. California is HORRIBLE, don't move there, don't visit and definitely don't even talk about it because it's that horrible.

    End of discussion.

  23. Re: California is headed for default by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Informative

    You are looking at surface numbers for current expenditures only: a grievous accounting error. Look at debt (especially PERS and STRS) : assets and cash flows against projected rate of returns and spending increases, and you'll see California is approaching a $300 billion shortfall.

    Those numbers will never be salvaged. Default is inevitable.

  24. Re:California: needles, hobo piss and bankruptcy by sconeu · · Score: 4, Funny

    Everyone is raped and murdered at least once

    Yeah, I've been murdered four times already!

    --
    General Relativity: Space-time tells matter where to go; Matter tells space-time what shape to be.
  25. Re:California: needles, hobo piss and bankruptcy by PopeRatzo · · Score: 2

    ell us again about that $6.1 billion surplus.

    Be glad to. Here is a more recent article from the Sacramento Bee that tells us the state actually has a $19 billion surplus.

    http://www.sacbee.com/news/pol...

    Your other two citations are a right-wing "think tank" and a libertarian magazine. But you don't trust the Wall Street Journal, right? And really, jwhyche, why don't you get a life and stop stalking me? It's getting a little creepy.

    --
    You are welcome on my lawn.
  26. There's a list, right there in the Constitution by raymorris · · Score: 3, Insightful

    The Constitution lists which things the federal government can do. It then says that all other powers are reserved to the states and the people. It actually says that last part THREE TIMES, just to be certain nobody can miss it.

    It then says that on these listed subjects that the federal government is allowed to legislate, federal law is the supreme law of the land, anything in state law notwithstanding:

    --
    This Constitution, and the Laws of the United States which shall be made in Pursuance thereof; and all Treaties made, or which shall be made, under the Authority of the United States, shall be the supreme Law of the Land; and the Judges in every State shall be bound thereby, any Thing in the Constitution or Laws of any State to the Contrary notwithstanding.
    --

    Either regulating nationwide ISPs regarding NN is NOT an enumerated power, in which case the FCC has no authority at all and can't do anything, or the feds have the power and the states do not. The Constitution does not allow for dueling laws, with some states having valid laws that contradict federal law.

    It is claimed that the federal government has the power under the Interstate Commerce Clause:

    --
    To regulate Commerce with foreign Nations, and among the several States, and with the Indian Tribes;
    --

    The federal rules apply companies *selling interstate* ISP services, so it sounds a lot like "commerce ... among the several states". The wording of thay clause *is* broad, but obviously it's intended to cover a limited number of things, so perhaps whenever something is questionable it should be interpreted fairly strictly.

    Moving along, the very first sentence of Article 1 says that all law-making authority is vested in Congress, who cannot delegate it to any other branch of government. Later it says the job of the Executive branch is to "take care that the laws be faithfully executed". So executive branch entities such as the FCC must enforce the laws that Congress passes.

    The question therefore is if Congress did in fact pass such a law and direct the FCC to enforce it. It is claimed that Congress did so with the Communications Act of 1934. Just by the title of the act alone, we can see it's going to be questionable whether, in 1934, Congress could have made any kind of law about the internet. In fact Congress made a law about the phone company (the ONE interstate phone company).

    It seems likely that the feds CAN regulate ISPs in this way, subject to first amendment and other rights, and then states could not trample on federal law. It also seems rather likely that Congress has not yet passed a bill requiring ISPs to implement Network Neutrality ideas, and without such a law the FCC has nothing to enforce.

  27. Re:California: needles, hobo piss and bankruptcy by PopeRatzo · · Score: 4, Interesting

    http://www.usdebtclock.org/sta...

    So, what you're saying is that California has a debt-to-GDP ratio that's better than Texas, Kentucky, Alaska, Louisiana, South Carolina , Indiana and all states combined.

    If the state of California is going to go belly up, there will be a host of red states that go belly up first, which is some comfort.

    Meanwhile, the quality of life is a whole lot better in California than it is in Texas, Kentucky, Alaska, Louisiana, South Carolina or Indiana.

    --
    You are welcome on my lawn.
  28. Re:California: needles, hobo piss and bankruptcy by jwhyche · · Score: 2

    I love having karma to burn, almost as much as I love shining the cold hard light of truth snowflakes.

    --
    I read at +2. If your post doesn't reach that level I will not see or respond to it.