from: TampaBay.com [1]

April 27, 2007
Cable and Telecoms Come to Agreements

With only three dissents, senators adopted the well-lobbied cable bill making it easier for telephone companies to enter the cable TV market.

What started this session as a battle between cable and local goverments on one side and telephone companies on the other ended with local governments out in the cold, unable to even govern utilities' access to their right-of-ways under the terms of the bill.

John Wayne Smith, lobbyist for the Florida League of Cities, said the organization will likely appeal to the governor to veto the bill. The freshly amended measure, which passed the House with eight dissents and the Senate with three, heads back to the House for final consideration. Bill sponsor Sen. Bennett touted it as a boon to consumers who he promised will have more choice and cheaper cable bills. Senators voting against it: Sens. Constantine, Carlton and Posey.

April 27, 2007 | Permalink