SB 1161 update - amendments to ALEC bill are "woefully inadequate"

Media Advisory
August 17, 2012

SB 1161 - an ALEC supported bill in California that would gut State
and local regulation of broadband media services using Internet
Protocol (IP-enabled) - was amended Thursday August 16, 2012 in the
California Assembly.

After a vote yesterday on the Assembly floor allowing the amendments to be
considered, a revised version of SB 1161 was released and made
available to the public late yesterday. Amendments to SB 1161 made public
are attached here below.

Along with County of Humboldt and other local jurisdictions, dozens of
consumer advocacy and public interest groups across the nation are
actively opposed to SB 1161.

Access Humboldt's executive director Sean McLaughlin, who is also a Knight
Media Policy Fellow with New America Foundation, has twice testified in
Sacramento to share concerns about SB 1161 along with background information,
rural concerns and updates - related items are on the web since mid-April 2012
at http://accesshumboldt.net/site/news

Following a review of the amendments adopted yesterday McLaughlin said,
"SB 1161 amendments offered to the California Assembly are woefully
inadequate - they follow the pattern so far, only accommodating basic
legacy protections and propping up outdated regulations.
SB 1161 still fails to fundamentally address our forward looking concerns
for public safety, privacy, universal access, and other consumer issues."

"Measured against our most important policy goal for the State,
universal access to open internet, SB 1161 is extremely harmful because
it will hinder development of community broadband and local media
access." He added, "this ALEC sponsored bill, tying the hands of State
and local governments, will only benefit private telecommunications
providers at the expense of consumers and the public interest.
Ultimately, SB 1161 as proposed will be very damaging to public safety,
health care, education, and other local community interests."

Access Humboldt recently shared an e-mail dated June 22, 2012 from the
Humboldt CountySheriff's Office of Emergency Services to the Assembly
Appropriations Committee expressing detailed concerns about the negative
and costly impacts of SB 1161 on public safety and emergency response for
remote rural communities.
http://accesshumboldt.net/site/alec-bill-california-threatens-universal-...

Those public safety concerns have not been addressed in the latest
amendments offered.

For more information, contact Sean McLaughlin, c: 707-616-2381

People who would like to register their concerns about SB 1161 are
encouraged to use the Action Alert pages provided by:

The Utility Reform Network (TURN):
http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/o/746/p/dia/action/public/?action_KEY...
AARP: https://action.aarp.org/site/Advocacy?cmd=display&page=UserAction&id=221...
National Rural Assembly: http://www.ruralassembly.org/news/action-alert-sb-1161

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