Tenn. House Panel Advances Governor's Broadband Bill, Punts Others

and Utilities Subcommittee Tuesday sent that measure to the full committee, as expected (see 1703030054). It punted on other and similar bills, moving them to the subcommittee’s final calendar. The amendment to the Haslam bill (HB-529), sponsored by Rep. David Hawk (R) and Leader Glen Casada (R), allows cooperatives to provide video services, but limits services to their electric footprint, Hawk said at the live-streamed hearing. The amendment also strengthens a prohibition on cooperatives using electric revenue to subsidize internet services, he said. More than a third of Tennessee residents lack broadband, Hawk said. The amendment “makes a very good bill even better,” he said. “We’re bringing a reasonable solution to a complex situation. Not only do we want to make broadband accessible to our residents, but we also want broadband to be adopted by our citizens.” The amended bill doesn’t remove the state restriction on municipal broadband expansion that was challenged by the FCC and upheld last year by the 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. One of the broadband bills punted by the subcommittee was HB-1410 allowing such expansion (see 1703030054). Bills that also do that by Sen. Janice Bowling (R), SB-1045 and SB-1058, are currently before the Senate Commerce and Labor Committee. Institute for Local Self-Reliance Community Broadband Networks Director Christopher Mitchell said he's "disappointed in the refusal thus far to consider the single easiest way to expand high quality Internet access in Tennessee -- simply allowing Chattanooga and other municipal networks to serve the neighbors that are begging them to expand."