FSRN Weekly Edition — February 27, 2015

FCC Approves Net Neutrality Rules

The Federal Communications Commission voted 3-2 on Thursday to approve the strongest net neutrality protections in the agency’s history, reclassifying broadband internet as a public utility under Title II of the Communications Act. The rules bar internet service providers from blocking or slowing traffic to specific websites and prohibit paid “fast lanes” for content companies willing to pay providers extra for priority delivery. The vote follows years of organizing by open-internet advocates — see our earlier coverage of Verizon’s legal challenge to the FCC’s original open internet rule — and comes after President Obama publicly called on the FCC to adopt the strongest possible protections. Major telecom trade groups, including Verizon and Comcast, are expected to challenge the ruling in court before it takes effect.

Obama Vetoes Keystone XL Pipeline Bill

President Obama vetoed Senate Bill 1 this week, rejecting bipartisan congressional legislation that would have approved construction of the Keystone XL pipeline — only the third veto of his presidency. The bill’s supporters argue the pipeline would create jobs and improve energy security; environmental groups and many congressional Democrats opposed it over its role in expanding Canadian tar sands extraction and its associated climate impact. Senate Republicans have vowed to attempt an override, though they do not appear to have the two-thirds majority needed to succeed. The veto doesn’t end Keystone’s fight, since the pipeline’s fate ultimately rests with a separate State Department review process still underway.

Homeland Security Funding Standoff Continues

Congress remains gridlocked over funding for the Department of Homeland Security, with House Republicans continuing to tie the agency’s budget to a rollback of President Obama’s executive actions on immigration — both his 2012 DACA program protecting young undocumented immigrants brought to the country as children, and his more recent expanded deportation relief. A federal judge in Texas has already issued an injunction blocking implementation of the newer executive actions, adding legal uncertainty on top of the congressional standoff. With funding set to lapse, the House and Senate passed a one-week stopgap extension to buy more time for negotiation.

Recreational Marijuana Takes Effect in D.C.

Voter-approved recreational marijuana legalization took effect this week in Washington, D.C., after Mayor Muriel Bowser moved forward with implementation despite direct threats from congressional Republicans, who argue D.C.’s unique status as a federal district gives Congress authority to block the district’s own approved ballot measures. The law allows adults 21 and older to possess and grow limited amounts of marijuana for personal use, though commercial sale remains prohibited under the specific measure that passed — a legal gray zone advocates say leaves the district’s new policy considerably more restricted than full legalization in states like Colorado and Washington.