I spent my lunch hour at today’s House Public Utilities Committee listening to debate about H.1252, the “Time Warner Cable Protection Act.” The meeting was full of spectators, including a group that proponent Americans For Prosperity apparently borrowed from a nearby protest. In spite of the crowd, this meeting had more civility than the previous meetings.
The chair said right from the start that there had been many citizens weighing in on this bill, so clearly they knew it was controversial. Immediately the bill’s sponsor, Ty Harrell, submitted a PCS (a potential committee substitute) directing this bill be sent to the Revenue Laws Study Committee. This would seem to defang it, and a lot of talk ensued about how everyone just wanted to make broadband available to anyone who wants it.
Rep. Faison made a motion to send the bill instead to the Select Committee on High-Speed Internet in Rural Areas which he chairs, explaining that his committee members are well-versed in the issues here. Rep. McComas suggested it first go to Revenue Laws. A compromise motion was made including both committees and this is the one that passed.
As I understand it, the House bill would have to go through the House Rules committee first before going to either of the other committees, after which it would go to Rep. Faison’s first.
You would think this would be enough to scuttle the bill, but you’d be wrong. Unsuccessful with the House version, Time Warner Cable is now pushing the Senate version with the aim of getting it passed the General Assembly’s “crossover” date. The Senate version of the bill, S.1004, will go to the Senate’s Commerce Committee tomorrow at 8 AM. Senator Hoyle is a vice-chair of this committee and callers to his officer were surprised to find Time Warner Cable representatives were literally fielding telephone callsabout the bill from Sen. Hoyle’s office line!
All subtlety is gone. This is one sneaky business we’re dealing with. No wonder I didn’t feel like celebrating today.
Please contact the Senate Commerce Committee members ASAP and let them know this bill is bad for North Carolina. Time is running out.
My state senator, Floyd McKissick is apparently a vice chair of the committee. I just left a message on his phone voice mail urging him to vote no on the bill (all while letting him know I am a voter in Durham).