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from: Shelbyville Times-Gazette

Cable TV bill takes legislative spotlight
Monday, April 9, 2007
By Clint Confehr

State Rep. Curt Cobb is holding a hearing today in Nashville on what's been dubbed the AT&T bill to create statewide franchises for cable TV companies instead of having them licensed by cities and counties.

Shelbyville city council members, like those representing them through the Tennessee Municipal League, oppose statewide franchising of cable TV because there was no requirement to provide service to government buildings like schools.

Furthermore, there's no proof that cable TV rates will drop if service providers are granted what amounts to a statewide business license, according to City Manager Ed Craig.

The hearing being led by Cobb at noon in the Legislative Plaza is part of a meeting of the Subcommittee on Utilities, Banking and Small Business. It reports to the House Commerce Committee. Cobb said he anticipates several more public airings of the proposal on cable TV.

"I believe when you have more competition, you pull off regulations," Cobb said, expressing a general philosophy. "I'm leaning that way [on the cable bill, thinking that statewide franchising might be good,] but the bill has some changes that will be made. Then I will make up my mind."

And while Cobb hasn't reached a final conclusion on whether the huge corporation should have to get permission from local governments to offer programs over phone lines, the Shelbyville Democrat is clear on a perennial bill at the legislature.

There are more important things than criminalizing attendance at cock fights, he said of a proposal that's come up year after year.

Freshman state Rep. Eddie Bass (D-Pulaski) has said he's had more calls on the cockfight bill than cable TV. He said that if the state can't make it a felony to assault a police officer, then it ought not make it a felony to be at a cock fight.

Cobb agrees, but also explained the proposal to make it an automatic felony to assault a police officer was seen by state budget committeemen as too expensive. And while he ranked police issues as important as those affecting children, Cobb sought to be practical and understanding of the budget committee's position.

Assaulting a police officer is illegal, but a new mandatory jail time for assaulting an officer was proposed at a period of time that was far greater than what budget committee members could support.

Cobb spoke of priorities and contrasted time spent on bills. He spoke later in a weekend interview about the bill on assaulting officers.

Laws to protect children from sex offenders is a priority he contrasted with the proposal to make it a felony to be at a cock fight.

"There are a lot of things that we would like to crack down on, but every time you put people in jail for a crime, there's a fiscal note [the legislature's calculation on what a new law would cost] and it costs a ton of money to incarcerate people," Cobb said while discussing the cockfight bill.

Some people have approached Cobb about the bill to criminalize attendance at cock fights, he said. The proposal has usually been suppressed in the Agriculture Committee where concerns have been heard about legislation over farm animals. If another law is passed on cock fighting, then the door might be open to include other animals such as horses and cattle.

Meanwhile, Cobb led a subcommittee hearing last week on title loans and a proposal to reduce the limit on rates from 22 percent to 18 percent. One of the sponsors of the proposal that set the current limit called for delay in action on the bill, Cobb said. More information is needed, Cobb said, paraphrasing other lawmakers. He said he believes the current limit should remain until it's proved excessive for short term, high risk loans.

T-G Staff Writer Brian Mosely contributed to this story.