After a year-long study (http://www.lwvct.org/events/e-democracy-for-ct.htm [1]), the League of Women Voters of Connecticut released new position statements on “Internet Neutrality,” universal high speed Internet access for Connecticut residents, and community access television for state residents.

LWVCT President Jara Burnett said, “Over the past two decades, the Internet has emerged as the new press—a neutral, nondiscriminatory agent for free speech, democratic participation, and business innovation. The League will work to keep it that way—and to make sure that all Connecticut residents have an affordable way to acquire the high speed Internet service they need to connect to today’s information superhighway.”

Based on survey results from its 27 chapters around the state, League members voiced their support for state policies that will guarantee that their Internet service providers will not block, discriminate against, or slow down customers’ access to any Internet site.

“Once we’ve paid our monthly Internet service bill, we all expect full access to the entire Internet without our Internet service providers “tampering” with our service—controlling which candidate’s Website will load the fastest or which Internet telephone service we can use,” said League Vice-President Cheryl Dunson.

To support open and transparent government, League members will also lobby for protecting the future of community access television—the local channels that broadcast town council meetings, board of education meetings, candidates’ debates, and public affairs programs. The Connecticut Network, or CT-N, provides a similar service to the people of Connecticut on a channel dedicated to broadcasting the state legislature live and unedited, as well as other statewide meetings and events. The future of both CT-N and community access television have been the topic of debate with the entry of new video service providers into some areas of Connecticut. The state legislature has held hearings about the funding and broadcast quality of community access channels on these new video services.

Ms. Dunson says that the League uses its member-approved positions to advocate in Hartford for, or against, proposed state legislation.

[To download the study, "Emerging Media and Internet Issues: E-Democracy for Connecticut," go to http://www.lwvct.org/events/MediaStudyFinal%20Report2008.pdf [2] ]