This page last updated 4/7/07
Recent State News via saveaccess: newswire
Bill Number(s):
HB 1983 Read Bill
SB 6003 Read Bill
Status:
HB 1983 - Stalled
Feb 2 First reading, referred to Technology, Energy & Communications.
SB 6003 - Stalled
Feb 13 First reading, referred to Water, Energy & Telecommunications.
Feb 20 Scheduled for public hearing in the Senate Committee on Water and Energy & Telecommunications at 10:00 AM.
Description:
These bills would strip localities of their cable-franchising authority and place it in the hands of the state Utilities and Transportation Commission. That agency would have 30 calendar days to approve a statewide franchise for a new provider. Incumbent operators would be bound to the terms of their local agreements until their stated expiration dates.
Buildout
The bill specifically excludes build-out demands by local governments
PEG New providers would have to reserve space for public, educational and government channels and pay support for those channel equivalent to that paid by incumbents. The content would be the responsibility of the local governments.
These bills have already rounded up bill opponents from among the state’s mayors and from organizations such as the Urban League as well as the Broadband Communications Association of Washington.
Source: Free Press
Organizations to Contact:
Also see: Free Press State Policy Tracker
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