News Briefs for June 13, 2019

Port announces musical acts for July 4 concert

The 2019 Port of Camas-Washougal Fourth of July Concert and Celebration will be held Thursday, July 4, at Washougal Waterfront Park.

The Junebugs, a Portland-based funk-rock trio, will open from 6 to 7:30 p.m. The headlining act, 5 Guys Named Moe, will follow from 8:30 to 10 p.m. The 12-piece horn-driven show band is based in Portland.

“This year’s concert lineup features some very talented artists mixing high energy folk-rock with some old-time rock and roll,” the Port stated in a press release. “There will be food, frolic and fun with food carts and a beer garden.”

Fireworks are scheduled to begin at 10 p.m., after the live music. The Port will have signs and staff directing vehicles to nearby parking lots, and urges concertgoers to arrive early and park near the venue.

Sen. Cantwell urges Republicans to ‘protect free and open internet’

On Tuesday, U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA), the top Democrat on the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee, joined U.S. Sens. Edward J. Markey (D-MA) and Ron Wyden (D-OR) to demand Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) bring net neutrality legislation to the Senate floor for an immediate vote.

Cantwell said the Save the Internet Act, which would reverse the 2017 Federal Communications Commission (FCC) repeal of net neutrality protections, would restore net neutrality protections and keep the internet free and open for everyone. Similar legislation passed the U.S. House of Representatives in April.

“It’s time to hold cable companies accountable and put consumers ahead of big cable profits,” Cantwell told Senate Republicans. “We should have a vote to protect consumers and the innovation economy — a free and open internet is so important to protect.”

The Save the Internet Act enacts three “net neutrality” principles — no blocking, no throttling and no paid prioritization — and empowers the FCC to prohibit unjust, unreasonable and discriminatory practices. The legislation also ensures consumers can make informed decisions when shopping for internet plans and restores the FCC’s authority to fund broadband access and deployment, particularly for rural communities and struggling Americans.

“The internet is the great equalizer. It’s helping people from different backgrounds participate in our economy, and it’s helping with economic empowerment,” Cantwell said. “But innovative businesses in every small town and every city need to have an internet that is going to give them access to create jobs and move their local economies forward.”

On the Senate floor Tuesday, Cantwell requested McConnell bring the net neutrality legislation up for a vote.

“It’s time for … McConnell to put the big cable companies out here for debate on the Senate floor and hold them accountable,” Cantwell said. “We should have a vote to protect consumers, to protect the 15,000 internet companies that are 20 percent of our economy and over 377,000 jobs in my state.”