La. Legislators Try Again on Broadband Co-op Bill
Louisiana legislators are trying again on a bill to spur rural broadband by electric cooperatives. Gov. John Bel Edwards (D) vetoed a bill last week that he argued would restrict broadband access in violation of the Telecom Act. Mississippi Public…
Sign up for a free preview to unlock the rest of this article
Export Compliance Daily combines U.S. export control news, foreign border import regulation and policy developments into a single daily information service that reliably informs its trade professional readers about important current issues affecting their operations.
Service Commissioner Brandon Presley advised against SB-406’s restrictions, in a Zoom videoconference a few weeks ago with the Louisiana governor’s broadband commission and state Sen. Beth Mizell (R), the NARUC president told us Tuesday. The Louisiana House referred electric co-op bill SB-10 to the Commerce Committee Monday, after the Senate voted 34-0 Sunday to pass the measure by Mizell. Commerce will take the bill up next week, Committee Assistant Christie Russell said Tuesday. The bill would allow co-ops to provide broadband through an affiliate, while requiring the co-ops to provide nondiscriminatory access to other operators to locate equipment on their electric delivery systems. The legislature passed Mizell’s similar SB-406 last month after amending it against co-ops’ wishes to include limiting co-op service to unserved areas in their territories. SB-10 is expected get a House Commerce Committee vote Monday and be on the floor Wednesday, Mizell emailed Wednesday. “We are running short on time and I am looking at possible options to a quicker passage over there.” The governor supports SB-10 as currently drafted, so the senator “requested all colleagues to leave it untouched by any new amendments,” she said. The bill would ask internet providers and co-ops to next year report any deployment impediments, which “would allow for legislation for next session to address any concerns they bring up,” Mizell said. Commerce Committee Chairman Paula Davis (R) and House Speaker Clay Schexnayder (R) didn’t comment now.