Justin Wilson j...@mtin.net www.mtin.net www.midwest-ix.com
> Begin forwarded message: > > From: IBTA- John Koppin <j...@itainfo.org> > Subject: Legislative News April 5, 2019 > Date: April 5, 2019 at 1:54:01 PM EDT > To: <jus...@midwest-ix.com> > Reply-To: IBTA- John Koppin <j...@itainfo.org> > > Legislative News for April 5, 2019 > View this email in your browser > <https://mailchi.mp/c4c2b7f55ff6/6qfrd6picw-2949153?e=9faa43b1d7> > > Legislative News > April 5, 2019 > > > Legislative News > > Second House Key Committee Hearing > > This week in the Indiana House of Representatives the Utilities Committee > heard SB 460 sponsored by Rep. Ed Soliday (R-Valparaiso) and SB 517 sponsored > by Rep. Dale Devon (R-Mishawaka). We are very supportive of SB 460 that > helps establish our rights to build in the state’s public right of way and > opposed SB 517 that would drive up our legal expenses and grant county > executives the authority to force us to move our facilities. > > SB 460 > > SB 460 authored by Sen. Mark Messmer (R-Jasper) and sponsored by Rep. Ed > Soliday (R-Valparaiso) will assist our members as they build Broadband across > Indiana by reducing the cost of permits and revert to when we were treated as > utilities. As we have reported earlier, the bill declares Communications > Service Providers to be utilities for right of way access purposes. This > will be a signal to INDOT that we will receive the same treatment as other > utilities and stop them from setting exorbitant construction permit > requirements and otherwise deny us access to state right of way. With bill we > gain access to the rights of way to build Broadband networks, pay cost based > permit fees, and reasonable building standards that follow normal industry > practices. We expect the bill to make the permit process simple and > straightforward. It does contain language establishing the INDOT Broadband > Corridor program, but clarifies exactly which roads are included in the > Corridor and are therefore subject to the recurring rates. The author, Sen. > Mark Messmer has agreed to monitor this program to ensure it doesn’t hurt our > Broadband building efforts. > > In committee, Rep. Soilday offered an amendment to add some provisions of SB > 461 authored by Sen. Messmer. The amendment is designed to place the > Legislature’s stamp on the $100 million Broadband grant program. We are > working with the House and Senate to get the best bill we can for the > industry. > > SB 517 > > SB 517 authored by Sen. Randy Head (R-Logansport) was not on anyone’s radar > when the Session began. We simply didn’t believe that the bill would even > get a hearing in the Senate Committee. When it was set for hearing, we began > talking with the author to see what he was trying to do with the bill and > found him to be hostile toward our industry in regard to facilities > relocation caused by road construction. As requested, we tried to make the > bill better by offering amendments, but these were rejected so we worked to > discuss our objections to the bill with members of the House of > Representatives. I sent out the alert to the membership and you responded in > a vigorous way. In a surprise at the Committee meeting on Wednesday, Sen. > Head decided to withdraw SB 517. This essentially ends the discussion on > this subject for the 2019 Session. Once again it shows that we can accomplish > a great deal if we can work together in a unified approach. Legislators do > respond to this kind of grassroots lobbying pressure. Thank you to all who > made calls and sent emails to your legislators on this important legislation. > > HB 1123 > > HB 1123 the Telephone Solicitation Bill authored by Rep. Jeff Ellington > (R-Bloomington) is sitting on second reading in the Indiana Senate. The bill > passed easily out of the Senate Utilities Committee and is expected to pass > easily out of the Senate. The bill provides exemptions for telecom companies > from the no-call provisions who solicit customers for service since this is > necessary in order to grow Broadband services across the state. > > SB 471 > > As you may recall, SB 471 authored by Sen. Eric Koch (R-Bedford) and > sponsored in the House by Rep. Ed Soliday (R-Valparaiso) is designed to > provide added protection against vandalizing critical infrastructure, > including communications equipment. The bill makes such act a felony. The > IBTA supported this legislation and Smithville provided dramatic security > camera video of an individual purposefully and unlawfully cutting a lock and > breaking into a secure remote installation and burning it using a flammable > liquid. This video was very effective in showing why this legislation was > necessary. I’m pleased to report that SB 471 successfully passed out of the > Senate via a concurrence motion and is on its way to the Governor’s desk. > > I have attached this week’s Bill Track in a separate email for your > reference. If you have any questions regarding legislation, don’t hesitate > to contact us at the IBTA office. We’ll be glad to get you the answers you > need. > > > I want to remind you that registration is now open for our IBTA Spring > Meeting, April 24-25 at the Cambria Suites Hotel in Westfield, IN where these > an other important industry topics will be discussed in detail. You can find > the registration in an email from Brandi sent this week or our webpage at > IBTAinfo.org <http://ibtainfo.org/>. > > I also want to remind you that the IBTA Convention is set for June 4-6, 2019 > at the French Lick Resort in French Lick, IN. > > > John E. Koppin, President > > > > > Copyright © 2019 Indiana Broadband and Technology Association, All rights > reserved. > You are receiving this email because you are a member of the IBTA. > > Our mailing address is: > Indiana Broadband and Technology Association > 50 N. Illinois Street > Suite 417 > Indianapolis, IN 46204 > > Add us to your address book > <https://itainfo.us2.list-manage.com/vcard?u=51ec4b4706d0585f3a31fcc12&id=205c97b1d6> > > unsubscribe from this list > <https://itainfo.us2.list-manage.com/unsubscribe?u=51ec4b4706d0585f3a31fcc12&id=205c97b1d6&e=9faa43b1d7&c=5039e7325e> > update subscription preferences > <https://itainfo.us2.list-manage.com/profile?u=51ec4b4706d0585f3a31fcc12&id=205c97b1d6&e=9faa43b1d7> > > > > <http://www.mailchimp.com/monkey-rewards/?utm_source=freemium_newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=monkey_rewards&aid=51ec4b4706d0585f3a31fcc12&afl=1>
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