Save Muni Wireless

Report that HB 789 Has Died

Midnight this morning was the deadline for the HB 789 conference committee to make their report. The Quorum Report is reporting that conferrees failed to reach agreement, which means HB 789 will die.

KING SAYS TELECOM, ELECTRIC BILLS ARE DEAD
Issues too tough to meet in the middle, King says.

Rep. Phil King (R-Weatherford) confirms negotiations on House Bill 789 and Senate Bill 743 have broken down irretrievably, with no hope of negotiating either bill.

HB 789 was the telecommunications deregulation bill. King said the House and Senate could not come to a compromise on the statewide franchise for telecommunications services, which the House favored and the Senate did not.

SB 743 was the electric bill. King said the two sides could not agree on several fronts, including the goals for renewable energy. The two sides had a different framework for emerging technologies.

King said the two sides gave up when it was apparent the conference committee report could not be printed and distributed by midnight.

1:13am update: The Austin American-Statesman also is reporting the SBC-favored telecom legislation is dead.