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23 Attorneys General Refile Challenge To FCC Net Neutrality Repeal (engadget.com)
An anonymous reader quotes a report from Reuters: A coalition of 22 state attorneys general and the District of Columbia on Thursday refiled legal challenges intended to block the Trump administration's repeal of landmark rules designed to ensure a free and open internet from taking effect. The Federal Communications Commission officially published its order overturning the net neutrality rules in the Federal Register on Thursday, a procedural step that allows for the filing of legal challenges. The states, along with web browser developer Mozilla and video-sharing website Vimeo, had filed petitions preserving their right to sue in January, but agreed to withdraw them last Friday and wait for the FCC's publication. The attorneys general argue that the FCC cannot make "arbitrary and capricious" changes to existing policies and that it misinterpreted and disregarded "critical record evidence on industry practices and harm to consumers and businesses." The White House Office of Management and Budget still must sign off on some aspects of the FCC reversal before it takes legal effect. That could take months.
Elected office holders need to take a position for what is a hot-button issue. IANAL but I don't see how these lawsuits will amount to anything more than a strongly worded letter. The result will likely be Ajit Pai making another mocking and condescending video trolling the public.
All that effort to get Net Neutrality repealed and now they will have not not only fight every state, county, and city, but they will also likely have a complete patchwork of implementation they will have to implement or maintain or they will get sued out of their profit. I would not be surprised if they quietly give up.
242 years ago a bunch of wackos published a manifesto. Several years later they amended it with crazy shit like Free Speech and trial by juries were rights. And the rest of the world looked on and said "What is this crazy shit. Free Speech and freedom of religion? That's just nuts." Years later those crackpots went further and said blacks couldn't be enslaved. And the rest of the world said "What are those guys smoking over there." Actually that's false. The rest of the civilized world had already eliminated slavery.
These days things are a little different. Some people are now saying affordable health care should be a right. And the rest of the worlld is wondering when this backwater shithole country is going to catch up to the rest of the civiliized world."
It's not that it can't be repealed by the Right. Sure it can be repealed by the Right. But look at why
it's being repealed by the Right. It's pretty apparent that the main reason the Right is dismantling things like health care and Net Neutrality is because it was done by a <shudder>black</shudder> president. And because the Koch brothers want it that way.