Big telecom money sets up clean sweep of broadband bills in Sacramento

From the article:

"Senate bill 649 won narrow, bipartisan approval in the senate yesterday. The tally was 22 yes votes – 21 were needed – with 10 noes and 8 abstentions. Instead of trying for a rational makeover of the way local governments make decisions on where wireless facilities can be installed, lawmakers opted for a multi-million dollar gift to ... telephone and cable companies. SB 649 streamlines some permit processes – too much or too little is open to debate – but also requires local governments to rent space on street lights, traffic signals and other “vertical” infrastructure they own at a giveaway price that is, in many cases, hundreds, even thousands, of dollars below market value."