Washington State Attorney General Bob Ferguson speaks to The Chronicle Editorial Board in Centralia in this January 2016 file photo.
Washington State Attorney General Bob Ferguson filed a petition Wednesday to appeal the Federal Communications Commission’s decision to rescind net neutrality rules, according to a news release from the attorney general’s office.
“Allowing powerful special interest to act as the internet’s gatekeepers harms consumers, innovation and small business,” Ferguson said. “We believe the FCC acted unlawfully when it gutted net neutrality, and I look forward to holding the FCC accountable to the rule of law.”
The FCC decided late last year to repeal Obama administration rules prohibiting internet providers from treating websites differently based on their content, according to the attorney general’s office.
The office filed the petition in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia along with a coalition of 21 other states and the District of Columbia. The petition is the first step by states to block the ruling.
“Protecting net neutrality is as critical as protecting free speech,” Gov. Jay Inslee said in a statement. “The FCC’s attack on the open internet is bad for Washingtonians, bad for business and a major step backward. I’m glad that Washington is leading the fight against the FCC’s kowtow to corporate lobbyists and continuing the fight for net neutrality.”
The petition alleges that the FCC violated the Administrative Procedure Act, the Constitution and the Communications Act of 1934.
