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MACTA Legislative Committee Update by Jodie Miller, NDC4 Cable Commission, MACTA Legislative Committee Co-chair Cities continue to defend against a three-pronged attack on local franchising and PEG (Public, Education, and Government) programming. Massive industry efforts at the U.S. Congress, the FCC, and state legislatures across the country have forced cities, counties, PEG organizations, and other consumer groups to pool resources and get involved in several major battles. The MACTA legislative committee meets by conference call on a regular basis throughout the legislative session and in the off-season. MACTA members who wish to participate may request to have your name added to the e-mail contact list. Last fall the committeerecommendedthat MACTA hire Joe Bagnoli and Sarah Psick of the McGarann Shea law firm to represent MACTA at the state legislature for the 2007 session. We developed a six-point list of legislative principles and a four-point legislative strategy and worked with the League of MN Cities (LMC) to j ointly implement both. , Summary of Legislative Principles: * Cities must maintain franchising authority over their rights-of-way. * Cities have a right to collect compensation from users, as rights-of-wayhave a value and there is a cost in managing and maintainingthem. ■ Each community has unique needs and interests and has the right to request sufficient communications support and provisions that are not necessarily identical from one community to the next. � Cities desire, welcome and encourage competition, however, it must not be assumed that all regulation should be dropped given experiences where operators have come in and left. t Cities must protect residents against discriminatoryredlining. Cities are in the best position to determine what best benefits their communities and citizens. • Cities must look at a variety of inethods to bring affordable, advanced broadband, telecommunications,and information services to their citizens and businesses. Legislative Strategy approach: • First do no harm! Cities do not wish to initiate any telecommunicationslegislation this session. The current franchising structure works well, and many cities are preparing competitive franchise documents in order to facilitate the entry of competition into their respective communities. * Fonr�ii�g a coalition with other organizations with common interests, and finding common ground with industry whenever possible. �► Prepare information that shows video franchises can be obtained and lack of competition in specific cities cannot be blamed on the local franchising process. • Liinit membership in the coalition to govex-ru�er�t and consumer organizations, and do not form long-term commitments to work with any specific industry members. Continue communicating and finding common ground with industry when possible.