For more than two decades, the Internet has changed our lives. Less government interference allowed free-market forces to work and drove investment and innovation. Then in 2015, the Obama administration decided the federal government should essentially seize control of the Internet by declaring it a public utility like electric or sewer services.  In the meantime, investment in broadband networks increased in Colorado and nationally by billions of dollars.

Obama’s unprecedented move was and is unacceptable. Broadband access has been expanding in Colorado, and that will be negated and progress stymied unless a bill is passed that clearly delineates a minimal role for the federal government. Further expansion and upgrading of Colorado’s broadband networks would help grow our tech industries, create jobs, and continue innovating, especially in rural areas.

The nefarious pretext of the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) 2015 ruling was that it was to support net neutrality. Few issues have been muddled as much in recent years as this one; but relegating the internet to utility status is beyond the pale. These are entirely different matters.

The thing about net neutrality is that there is no underlying problem. It was conceived to stop internet service providers (ISPs) from blocking, throttling, or discriminating against certain websites or data in order to favor certain sites and their users over others. But ISPs support the underlying principles of net neutrality and have absolutely no plans to violate them because they know their customers would rightfully revolt if they did – the beauty of a free market.

So this is a straw-man argument. Let the federal government complete its takeover of the infrastructure of the Internet, and you can be sure that it won’t stop there. It’s easy to see fees being assessed, free speech being curtailed, and the Internet eventually decaying under the weight of crushing regulations.

In any case, there is little support for overseeing the Internet as if it were a public utility. A solid majority of Americans of both political parties believes the Internet should be carefully governed and not treated like a public utility. They are happy the way things are because they recognize the benefits of keeping the Internet independent of the government.

The current FCC Chairman, Ajit Pai, has said he will try to roll back the utility-style regulations and return to an open, secure Internet where networks can be expanded and technologies developed and adapted without the government’s permission. But this is only a temporary fix, subject to change the next time a big-government administration is in the White House.  We need a long-term solution that keeps the federal government at bay while establishing less intrusive net neutrality parameters. That way, companies won’t have to guess the specifics of tomorrow’s regulatory environment.

Colorado’s local elected officials and congressional delegation can make a difference on this issue by leading other conservatives and nipping this problem in the bud with a balanced piece of legislation specifically addressing net neutrality but preserving free-market principles. As a fellow Republican, I have faith that they will take action in one way or another to ensure government does not hinder Internet ingenuity and our modern economy.