Dayton, Thousands of Minnesotans Join Fight to Defend Internet Freedom

Dayton, Thousands of Minnesotans Join Fight to Defend Internet Freedom

U.S. Senator Mark Dayton today announced his support for Net Neutrality— which would guarantee continued open access to the Internet. Dayton vowed to fight to protect open and equal Internet access, by signing onto a bill called the Internet Freedom Preservation Act (S.2917). Introduced by Senators Olympia Snowe (R-ME) and Byron Dorgan (D-ND), the bill would prevent Internet service providers from deciding which websites open quickly on users' computers, based on which companies pay them additional fees.

"I am returning to Minnesota a day early from my United States-Mexican border tour, in order to meet personally with Minnesotans who support Net Neutrality legislation now in the Senate," said Dayton. "I am becoming a Co-Sponsor of S. 2917, the Snowe-Dorgan Net Neutrality bill. I support that original legislation; and I also support the related Snowe-Dorgan amendment in the Senate Commerce Committee markup, although I regret the changes that weakened it from the original bill.

"I will work with the two Senate sponsors to enact the Net Neutrality principles of equal access to the Internet into law this year."

More than 13,000 Minnesotans have signed petitions in support of Net Neutrality. Those petitions, organized by the SavetheInternet.com Coalition, were delivered to Dayton's office today. The Coalition, which includes MoveOn.org, the Christian Coalition, and Minnesota PIRG, has collected over 1 million signatures nationwide.

http://dayton.senate.gov/news/details.cfm?id=262224&&