How Washington keeps states from regulating Internet providers

The US House is expected to vote June 9th on a bill that would prevent state and city governments from levying taxes on Internet access. The bill is important for a number of reasons, not least because it could help determine what you ultimately pay for service. But it also highlights an important tension between Washington and the states -- one that affects how we regulate what has become the most important connection technology of our time.

The Permanent Internet Tax Freedom Act, which has the backing of House Judiciary Committee Chairman Bob Goodlatte (R-VA) and nearly 190 co-sponsors, could take some of that power away, at least on paper. The bill itself is fairly simple: It reaffirms a preexisting ban on Internet taxes. Here's why that's significant: Until now, the ban had to be renewed by Congress every so often. But if the ban becomes permanent, Congress would be heading off any attempt by states to tax Internet providers and reassert themselves over those companies. The legislation would officially make regulating Internet providers more of a federal affair, with all of the consequences that implies.