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Rep. Jim Hackworth - House District 33
IMMEDIATE RELEASE May
2, 2008
Competitive Cable & Video
Services Act Passes House
With passage in the Senate, legislation now goes
to governor for signature
NASHVILLE (May 2) – On
Monday, the House of Representative overwhelmingly passed a bill that
would allow cable and Internet providers to enter into statewide
franchise rights.
“This is a great day for
Tennesseans,” said State Rep. Jim Hackworth. “After two long years of
negotiations, the people of Tennessee can now have more options when it
comes to television and Internet providers.”
Under the new bill,
competitors would be able to obtain a ten-year state franchise
certificate from the Tennessee Regulatory Authority (TRA) with the
requirement that the company must build-out to at least 30% of their
existing service area within 3.5 years. Companies would also be required
to expand 25% of their total new services to underserved and low-income
areas. Failure to meet either of these goals would result substantial
financial penalties.
The new legislation also
takes steps to protect local interests, specifically local
municipalities. Under the new bill local franchise fees direct to local
governments will remain in effect and any construction of right-of-ways
will be under local regulation and approval.
“In the end, the big
winners in this new legislation are the citizens of Tennessee,”
Hackworth said. “A level playing field of competition will allow more
companies to come in and provide better, more consistent services to
more people across our state.”
The legislation also passed
the State Senate on Thursday and now goes to Governor Bredesen for
signing.
Governor
Requests More Time to Draft State Budget
This week Governor Bredesen
requested that the state House of Representatives and Senate convene for
a joint session so that he may address the budget revenue shortfalls
expected for next fiscal year.
“The Bush Recession has
finally begun to creep into our borders,” said Hackworth. “As President
Bush cuts federal funding to our state by over $130 million, and
revenues continue to dry up while families are forced to spend more and
more in outrageous gas prices and food prices, Tennessee will now have
to face a budget crunch that we must take seriously.”
The official budget will
not be presented until later this month, but current estimations place
the revenue shortfall between $400-$550 million. With such a drop in
revenues, many state funded projects and programs are in danger of being
cut in order to produce a balance budget.
“When I balance my
checkbook at home and money is tight, my family and I know that we must
tighten our financial belts a bit,” Hackworth said. “This year,
Tennesseans will need to be prepared to do the same thing. We can and
will balance this budget without any new taxes, but that will require
some tough decisions.”
The House and Senate are
scheduled to convene for a joint session on Monday, May 12th.
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