The telecoms, through their unscrupulous friends in the California Legislature, are racing to get 4 bills passed: SB 556, AB 537, SB 378 and SB 28. All of these bills would reduce local zoning authority over cell antennas. The first two would be the worst. Now is the time to get involved, save your city and county, save California, and save your behind.
The Senate Appropriations Committee will meet on May 3, 10 and 17. There are a LOT of bills that they will hear.
SB 556 (Dodd) “Street light poles, traffic signal poles, utility poles, and support structures: attachments.” would specifically authorize the telecoms to place cell antennas on “street light poles, traffic signal poles, utility poles, and support structures” and would “supersede[] all conflicting local laws and this part shall apply in charter cities.”
AB 537 (Quirk) Communications: wireless telecommunications and broadband facilities.” says, “The Legislature finds and declares that a wireless telecommunications facility has a significant economic impact in California and is not a municipal affair as that term is used in Section 5 of Article XI of the California Constitution, but is a matter of statewide concern.” (Section 1d)
SB-378 (Gonzalez) “Local government: broadband infrastructure development project permit processing: microtrenching permit processing ordinance.” would allow the provider to determine the method of installation of fiber, including microtrenching, and the local agency would have no say in the matter. Every county has its own way of managing the public right of way and the providers should have to fit in. The telecoms are just trying to install fiber optics in the cheapest way.
SB-28 (Caballero) Rural Broadband and Digital Infrastructure Video Competition Reform Act of 2021. would require the State to lease or license state-owned resources to telecoms providing video service at the household address using any technology, other than direct-to-home satellite service, providing two-way broadband Internet internet capability and video programming. (emphasis added)
The WireCalifornia.org website has a page with specific actions for each bill.
Please write to me if you want to get involved, whether it’s making a phone call or 3 or sending an email or 3, or more involved. Mark at (the name of this website).