Oregon passes net neutrality law

Oregon became the second state to pass its own net neutrality law on Monday, following Washington state’s landmark move last month.

Gov. Kate Brown (D) signed a bill aimed at blocking internet service providers, like AT&T and Comcast, from throttling traffic, a response to the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) repeal of Obama-era net neutrality rules in December.

The Oregon bill prevents state agencies from doing business with providers that favor some content over others.

“When the federal government repealed net neutrality, it took a giant step backward,” Brown said before signing the bill, according to The Associated Press.

{mosads}Washington’s Democratic governor, Jay Inslee, also signed a net neutrality measure earlier this month, though his state’s goes further to forbid providers from blocking or throttling content and creating internet “fast lanes.”

The FCC included a provision blocking states from creating their own net neutrality rules, making the Oregon and Washington laws almost certain to face a legal challenge.

Democratic state attorneys general in 22 states have sued to overturn the FCC decision to repeal the rules.