from: National Association of Telecommunications Officers and Advisors [1]

Action Alert

House Floor Vote Soon On TelecomBill:

Urge Your Member To Vote “NO” on COPE

As approved by the United States House of Representatives Committee on Energy and Commerce on April 26, 2006, the Communications, Opportunity, Promotion, and Enhancement Act of 2006 (COPE / Barton-Rush) Bill (HR.5252) appears headed for a final House floor vote in early June. While we had expected this action to occur weeks ago, a delay was caused when House Judiciary Chairman Sensenbrenner asked that the COPE bill be referred to the Judiciary Committee for further hearings. The House Parliamentarian denied Chairman Sensenbrenner’s request for referral on May 17th.

The COPE bill will strip local governments of their authority to franchise their public rights-of-way for video/cable services and impose a national franchising scheme. It will give the FCC authority to oversee and second-guess all local rights-of-way management practices and customer service issues. It will allow new market entrants to pick and choose the neighborhoods they want to serve while bypassing all others completely.

PLEASE contact your House members today (www.house.gov) and urge them to vote “NO” on the final bill. Simply dial the Capitol switchboard at 202/224-3121 and ask for your member’s office. Or better yet call today and schedule an appointment to meet with your representative while they’re back home during the upcoming Memorial Day District Work Period, May 29th through June 2nd. Urge them to vote “NO” on COPE.

If you have already met with your House member and they agree with your position on consumer protection issues, local control over rights-of-way, support for PEG programming, prohibitions on redlining, prohibiting the imposition of unfunded mandates, or all of these issues, please contact them and ask them to send a “Dear Colleague” letter to their fellow congressional members. Examples of these letters are attached for your convenience.

Thanks!