ab1299

It’s only a flesh wound.

Broadband subsidies for public housing are still popular at the California state capitol, even if it means reducing already dwindling support for infrastructure construction in unserved and underserved areas. The senate energy, utilities and communications committee approved assembly bill 1299 this morning. It would take $25 million from the California Advanced Services Fund (CASF) and use it to install broadband facilities in public housing projects and support marketing programs aimed at convincing residents to sign up for service.… More

Expect a united front from industry lobbyists.

Monday and Tuesday will likely be the final opportunity for public comments on new money and rules for the California Advanced Services Fund (CASF). Two proposals – senate bill 740 and assembly bill 1299 – are set for committee hearings. If approved, the bills head back into the machinery of the legislative process, which operates behind closed doors for the most part.

SB 740 is first up. It’s considered by the assembly utilities and commerce committee on Monday afternoon.… More

Open for business again.

The authors of legislation to top up the California Advanced Services Fund (CASF) and make more broadband construction projects eligible for grants and loans have put money back in and removed unworkable restrictions pushed by industry lobbyists.

The primary proposal, senate bill 740, was originally written by senator Alex Padilla (D – Los Angeles) to add money to CASF, because current grant requests would, if approved, zero out the fund.… More

It’s on the house. Both houses, actually.

The California Assembly approved using broadband construction subsidy funds to pay for marketing programs and infrastructure in public housing yesterday. The votes was 58 yes and 17 no for assembly bill 1299, which means it heads over to the Senate for further consideration later this summer.

AB1299 earmarks $20 million from the California Advanced Services Fund (CASF) for building out broadband infrastructure in public housing projects and another $5 million for programs designed to encourage residents to buy service.… More

I think I’ll send you over the Assembly for a little trim.

No more money for the California Advanced Services Fund (CASF) and tight restrictions on how any remaining funds can be spent. That was the decision yesterday of a large, bipartisan majority of California state senators, as they approved a broadband infrastructure bill largely written by cable and telco lobbyists.

In a 36 to 1 vote, they sent senate bill 740 to the assembly for consideration later this summer.… More

Providing meaningful input to the process.

Two proposals to change the California Advanced Services Fund (CASF) are on the table in Sacramento, and both are scheduled for major votes on Tuesday. Assembly bill 1299 and senate bill 740 will be put before the full California Assembly and Senate, respectively, after legislative leaders – primarily super-majority Democrats – released both for a vote. The alternative would have been to kill them outright, which was the fate of many other bills in progress.… More