SB 1161 Will Deregulate The Phone Companies and Leave Consumers Unprotected
Pasadena, CA - April 16, 2012 - Tomorrow, the National Hispanic Media Coalition ("NHMC") will join a number of organizations from across California - such as the Center for Rural Strategies, The Utility Reform Network ("TURN") and the Greenlining Institute - to urge the state Senate to reject SB 1161, a bill offered by Senator Alex Padilla that would deregulate the telephone industry and strip the California Public Utilities Commission ("CPUC") of essential power to protect consumers from predatory practices and substandard phone service.
On Tuesday, April 17, NHMC will testify at a public hearing before the Senate Energy, Utilities and Communications Committee, in opposition to SB 1161. If passed and signed into law, SB 1161 will have a dramatic and devastating impact on consumers in California - particularly for low-wealth individuals and families that rely on certain services provided by the state through the CPUC to stay connected. "The CPUC plays a vital role in ensuring that consumers are protected and offered affordable, quality access to communications services in California. This bill would eliminate all state oversight of the phone companies and consumers will suffer higher prices and lower quality of service as a result. During my testimony tomorrow, I will urge Senator Padilla to withdraw this ill conceived legislation," said Inez Gonzalez, Executive Vice President of NHMC, who will be representing NHMC before the Committee. Tomorrow's hearing is open to the public. Join NHMC and others in Sacramento to tell Senator Padilla to look out for consumers, not big phone companies, and withdraw SB 1161!Hearing details: Senate Energy, Utilities and Communications Committee Hearing Tuesday, April 17 at 9:30 AM State Capitol 1315 10th Street Sacramento, California
If you can't attend tomorrow's hearing, click here to send a message to Senator Padilla asking him to withdraw SB 1161.
To learn more about SB 1161, read NHMC's opposition letter to Senator Padilla.]]>
