Paving the Way for 21st Century Telecommunications

Telecom Reform Bill Passes Oregon Senate Today; House Approval Pending

(PORTLAND) – Oregon Citizens for a Sound Economy (Oregon CSE) commended the Oregon Senate today for passing SB 622, a telecommunications reform bill that would help all Oregon consumers – particularly rural customers and schools – by moving away from monopoly-era regulations that discourage innovation and quality.

“The bottom line for Oregon is that we can’t operate in a regulatory vacuum while a global telecommunications revolution marches on without us,” said Oregon CSE Director Cathy Epley. “If every community in Oregon has the opportunity to access technology that attracts new business and that gives our schools, hospitals and libraries better tools, than our state economy will be stronger and every Oregonian will benefit.”

Throughout the legislative session, as many as 800 Oregon CSE members have called or emailed legislators and the Governor asking them to support SB 622. Editorials written by Epley appeared in a half dozen papers around the state, including the Oregonian.

Oregon CSE members also discussed SB 622 on radio talk shows, wrote letters to the editor of their local newspapers and made personal visits to their legislators. In May, Oregon CSE citizen activists from Medford testified before the House Commerce Committee on the importance of moving away from regulatory barriers that hinder advances in telecommunications.

SB 622, which passed the House today, now heads to the governor’s desk. Epley urged the Governor to support the measure, saying “Governor Kitzhaber needs to think win-win and sign SB 622 into law.”