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f?~ - /6 TELECOM from page 1 ...............'.............................. The bills addressed by the senate committee were AB 1547 (Levine) and AB 1735 (De la Torre). A third bill, SB 909 (Escutia) is being held in the Assembly Utilities and Commerce CDmmittee. The bills in the senate committee raise the issue of whether non-cable television companies (telephone companies and energy companies) should be exempted from local franchising author- ity. While we were prepared for a debate on the issue, led by Chairperson Martha Escutia the committee voted unanimously to gut the afore- mentioned bills and send them to a conference committee, with interim hearings to be held in the fall (between sessions). Some of chair's com- ments are paraphrased as foIlDWS: . I am looking for a big push for conference committee language for all three bills . I am damn serious about the process being fair. . I would like to take the conference commit- tee throughout the state, Le. San Francisco, Fresno and Los Angeles. etc. This will guarantee that we receive input from throughout the state. . This is not a show-and-tell-type of exercise - unlike other conference committees. . I want to come back in January with language that all stakeholders have bought into, and tD forward to two to three bills via the legisla- tive process. Conference Committee Urged Senator Escutia said she will seek approval from Senate Pro Tem Don Perata to form the conference committee and request that he serve as a co-chair. She also encouraged Assembly- man Levine to follow the same approach with Speaker Fabian Nunez. With both Escutia and Levine requesting the creation of the conference committee, and the co-chair participation by their respective leaders, the leaders are likely to ap- prove the request. Contrary to an earlier report, the conference committee has not been officially approved by either house leadership. Many things can happen in a conference committee. Both Escutia and SenatDr Deborah Bowen, a member of the Energy, Utilities and Commerce Committee, intend for the conference committee to be substantive. The cable television industry supports the creation of conference committee, as does the League. However, other groups apparently do not favor a conference committee and may approach legislative leadership trying to convince them to push ahead this session with more narrow legisla- tion to address their industry-specific problems. Levine Discussions Ongoing The Assembly Utilities and Commerce Com- mittee Chairperson, Assemblymember Levine, is holding weekly meetings with stakeholders in an attempt to develop a comprehensive regulatDry scheme the communicatiDns industry in CalifDmia. The assemblymember apparently plans to con- tinue to hDld the weekly meetings to gather further input (see "Telecommunications Issues Affecting Cities"). While these discussions are ongoing, the League strongly urges cities to begin the debate locally about how emerging telecommunications issues should be addressed at the local level (see "League Urges Community Debates"). In the meantime, we will keep you informed as this issue develops and a clearer agenda emerges. LEAGUE URGES COMMUNITY DEBATES The issue of a new regulatory scheme for the communications industry, video, data and voice, will be an extremely important issue for local govemments Dver at least the next two years. If a discussion over these issues has not taken place in your community, we highly encourage cities to plan to hold such a debate. Communities that are PAGE 8/PRIORITY FOCUS Continued on Page 9 Visit the league's Official Website -- www.cacities.org .-.....-... '""T-"-'"