****UPDATE: The FCC did ultimately approve repealing net neutrality regulations on Thursday.****
North Carolina Attorney General Josh Stein is one of 18 attorneys general from across the country urging the Federal Communications Commission to delay a vote to repeal net neutrality rules on Thursday.
The attorneys general wrote to FCC leadership that the proposal “has far-reaching implications for the everyday life of Americans.”
Net neutrality was implemented under the administration of President Barack Obama and bans providers from blocking or slowing down websites or apps.
The delay is being requested after an issue was apparently discovered after a review of the public comments submitted to the FCC.
“A careful review of the publicly available information revealed a pattern of fake submissions using the names of real people,” the attorneys general wrote. “In fact, there may be over one million fake submissions from across the country.”
The attorneys general wrote that they value public comment but are also working to protect against identity theft and fraud.
“But, if the well of public comment has been poisoned by falsified submissions, the Commission may be unable to rely on public comments that would help it reach a legitimate conclusion to the rulemaking process,” according to the AG’s. “Or, it must give less weight to the public comments submitted which also undermines the process.”
North Carolina Fourth District Congressman David Price has been a vocal opponent of the proposal to repeal the net neutrality guidelines.
https://twitter.com/RepDavidEPrice/status/940985592288043009
FCC administrators have indicated they will proceed with Thursday’s vote as scheduled. It is expected net neutrality regulations will be repealed through a party-line vote.
Related Stories
‹
![]()
New Tracking System for Rape Kits, Federal Grant AnnouncedNorth Carolina government’s top lawyer says a new tracking system for pending sexual assault evidence kits and new funds toward completing untested kits sitting in local law enforcement agencies will help bring victims justice. Attorney General Josh Stein announced the new tracking system Thursday at the State Crime Lab. It will provide real-time updates for […]
6 US States Accuse Opioid Maker Purdue of Fueling OverdosesSix U.S. states on Tuesday sued the maker of the opioid OxyContin of using deceptive marketing to boost drug sales that fueled opioid overdose deaths. Drugmaker Purdue Pharma minimized risks and overstated benefits of long-term use of narcotic opioids, according to a civil complaint filed in Nevada state court in Las Vegas. “Purdue’s deception lined […]
![]()
April 2018 Community Forum: Opioid EpidemicCarrboro Police Captain Chris Atack, Orange County EMS operations manager Kim Woodward and North Carolina Attorney General Josh Stein have all been leading efforts locally and across the state to tackle the issue. They discussed progress being made and the challenges that lie ahead on the WCHL Community Forum.
![]()
North Carolina AG Requesting Election Security Information from FedsNorth Carolina’s attorney general is asking federal officials to provide information related to “security and possible tampering” in the state’s elections. Stein wrote in a letter to the Secretary of Homeland Security that action was necessary because of the upcoming elections in North Carolina. “In our democracy, the right to vote, to have one’s vote […]
![]()
NC Attorney General Addresses Opioid Epidemic with State Health Officials in Chapel HillThe opioid epidemic facing North Carolina and the rest of the United States is causing a shift in law enforcement thinking of handling addiction. Abuse of opioids, which are legally prescribed in many cases, has led to more authorities viewing addiction through a public health lens rather than strictly law enforcement. That was part of […]
On the Porch: Holly Lux-Sullivan - Walking You HomeThis Week:
Holly Lux-Sullivan of Heartwood Death Doula & Bereavement Care is a trusted end-of-life guide, grief counselor, and board-certified chaplain with 18 years of experience supporting people through illness. She is a respected death doula whose passion is caring for those at life’s margins, particularly during severe and terminal illness, and normalizing conversations about mortality. An ordained Unitarian Universalist minister, she serves people facing the end of life across central North Carolina. HeartwoodDeathDoula.com
'Worried For Our Future': Authors React to Removal Attempt of LGBTQ+ Books from CHCCS Elementary LibrariesNorth Carolina legislators are pushing to remove 63 LGBTQ-themed books from CHCCS elementary schools, saying they violate state law for being available in libraries.
On the Porch: Deana Joy - Child Abuse in NCThis Week:
Deana Joy has spent her career working in the nonprofit sector with victims of crime. She began by working with victims of sexual violence then, in 2006, she was promoted to Executive Director of a local Children’s Advocacy and Sexual Assault Center. In 2014, Deana began working as the CEO of Children’s Advocacy Centers of North Carolina, the state chapter for Children’s Advocacy Centers (CACs). In 2017, Deana became a national accreditation site reviewer for National Children’s Alliance, the accrediting body of Children’s Advocacy Centers. Deana currently serves as the Chair of the Children’s Justice Act for the Governor's Crime Commission and is on the NC Human Trafficking Commission, the NCDHHS Safety Design Team, the central region Citizen Review Panel, and the statewide Mass Violence Committee.
Morinaga Celebrates Completed Mebane Expansion and 'Sweet Partnership' With North Carolina, Orange CountyThe Japanese candy company Morinaga held a ribbon-cutting ceremony Tuesday to celebrate the opening of its expansion Hi-Chew plant in Mebane.
North Carolina’s Electoral Future May Hinge on Rural Black Voters Who Feel Ignored by DemocratsRoughly 4 in 10 Black voters in North Carolina’s last presidential election said they live in small towns or rural communities.
›
