Legislative Action Center
The 110th Congress is working on a variety of issues relating to network neutrality, cell phone consumer protection, community broadband, PEG programming availability, public safety spectrum, universal service, satellite tax, as well as holding a host of hearings on these and oversight issues. Be sure to visit NATOA’s Legislative Action Center for the latest information on what Congress is up to.
On The Hill
NATOA Joins Other Local Government Associations in Letter to the Congressional Leadership on Rights-of-Way in the National Broadband Plan
Yesterday, NATOA joined
with the U.S. Conference of Mayors, the National League of Cities, the National
Association of Counties, the Government Finance Officers Association, the
International City/County Management Association, and the International
Municipal Lawyers Association in sending a letter to Speaker of the House Nancy
Pelosi (D-CA), Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV), House Minority Leader
John Boehner (R-OH), and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY).
The letter urged Congressional advocacy in favor of continued local management
of rights-of-way and warned against potential FCC actions in the National
Broadband Plan or the pending Level 3 proceeding that could jeopardize
local management of rights-of-way and local budgets. The letter also
highlighted Congress’s clear intent, when drafting the applicable law, to
prevent FCC interference with local management of rights-of-way.
The National Broadband
Plan is due to Congress on March 17th, but the FCC is expected to publically
release the Plan one day earlier at its Open Meeting on March 16th.
We have been asked to request our members send a copy of this letter to their individual Representatives and Senators. If you need assistance contacting your elected officials, please contact Matt Johnson at NATOA. The letter can be found here.
A Good Couple of Weeks for the CAP Act – But More Help Needed
The CAP Act (H.R. 3745)
was introduced by Rep. Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) last October to help protect PEG
channels. The passage of the CAP Act has been one of NATOA’s top
priorities over the last few months. In the past month, the CAP Act has
gained a lot of momentum. Since the beginning of February, the CAP Act
has received six new co-sponsors bringing the total to 19.
The most recent additions
to the co-sponsor list are: Rep. Jose Serranno (D-NY) (the Chairman of
the Subcommittee in charge of FCC appropriations), Rep. Keith Ellison (D-MN),
Rep. Chellie Pingree (D-ME), Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-OR), Rep. Edward Markey
(D-MA), and Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-CA).
Despite this progress, the
most critical step before the CAP Act will get a hearing at the Subcommittee
level is finding a Republican co-sponsor (as of yet the CAP Act does not have
any). We have been told by Subcommittee staff that a Republican co-sponsor
is a prerequisite to a hearing.
If your district is
represented by a Republican, especially a moderate Republican or one who is
retiring before the election, please contact him or her about the CAP
Act. (If your district is represented by a Democrat, more Democratic
co-sponsors can only help, so contact them as well.)
A one page summary of the benefits of the CAP Act can be found here.
Rep. Baldwin Introduces the CAP Act in Effort to Protect PEG Channels
Representative Tammy Baldwin
(D-WI) introduced today the Community Access Preservation (CAP) Act of 2009
(H.R. 3745). The CAP Act addresses some of the most crucial issues currently
facing public, educational, and government (PEG) channels. NATOA, along with
the