Santiago is a Democrat who represented the 54th Assembly District, which encompasses parts of Downtown Los Angeles, along with East Hollywood, Boyle Heights, Montebello, Commerce, and Vernon.

[8] Santiago's amendments removed all provisions of the bill's net neutrality protections that were not in the text of the 2015 Open Internet Order, leaving in only those that were in the two-pages of rules.

"[10] The changes also included deleting a large section of definitions, which critics claim could make it more difficult for California's attorney general to prosecute violations of the legislation.

"[11] On June 6, 2018, Santiago released a press statement saying that his amendments were intended to help "deliver a bill that could withstand legal challenges from the telecommunications industry" and that "we ran out of time" to reach an agreement with Wiener.

Santiago expressed regret at the "legislative maneuverings" required to advance the bill and that he does not "envision policy being created in this manner."

The public response was intense, and Santiago stated that his family had received threats and that offensive memes smearing his wife and children had been shared online.