Note: We have heard similar reports from other states considering video franchise legislation. It seems the best way to get legislators to change their vote is to misinform them at the last minute. We hope our elected officials will read the fine print of these telco bills before signing off on them.

The day that SB 117 passed in the Senate I was at the statehouse and here are a couple of the things I noticed:

1) There were so many AT&T & Cable Lobbyists in the building that I could have walked across the statehouse lawn on their shoulders.

2) The were spreading a great deal of misinformation like, "the bill has been amended so that all of the concerns of cities and access are take care of."

A senator that I had been working with from the beginning of this bill nearly voted for it because he had been told that all our needs were taken care of. It was a near thing but after talking with me he got on the phone with our mayor and confirmed that no one's needs were taken care of except the bloated Telcos!

If there was ever a week that you need to be in Columbus this is it!

Close the shop, get in your car, and be in Columbus this Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.

SB 117 will go up for a vote in the House Public Utilities Committee on Wednesday (June 6).

It could go to the floor as early as later that day or likely on Thursday (June 7).

If your voice isn't their to counteract the spin of the megabucks lobbyiests that AT&T & Time-Warner have in Columbus we will lose.

If not YOU then WHO?
If not NOW then WHEN?

Get to Columbus this week!

PEG depends on it!

Hopefully by no later than tomorrow morning we'll know if we have sponsors for our amendments. If we don't we'll need you to ask your representatives to sponsor them. If we do have sponsors, we'll need you to ask your representatives to back them.

Get up there, speak to your rep, then go speak to the members of the committee.

PEG depends on it!

I hope to see you all there,