Action Alert: SB 1627 --  Wireless

Please take a couple of minutes TODAY to e-mail the author of this bill
and request that she withdraw it. (See e-address below.) Include some
reasons. (Good ones listed below.) Send her some research!
Send a copy to the assembly chair as well.
If this passes in CA, you'll probably be looking at the same in your
state/province/country soon.
Shivani Arjuna
Life Energies
     

Action Alert: SB 1627 --  Wireless Communications Facilities
 
A bill in the California State Legislature, Senate Bill (SB) 1627, proposes
to further erode local control over wireless communications facilities
permitting and management. If this bill passes, it will set a national precedent that
other states may follow.
 
In brief, this bill:
• requires local governments to approve co-locations (additions of
antennas at or near to existing sites) with limited public review

• explicitly takes co-location out of the jurisdiction oflocal
governments, which sets the stage for the industry to argue that no wireless
siting should be regulated by localities
 
• undermines communities’ rights to: restrict thelocations of
antennas sites, require bonds for removal of sites, and issue permits of less
than 10 years for antenna sites

 
SB 1627, sponsored by T-Mobile and other wireless carriers, passed the CA
Senate and is scheduled to be reviewed by the California Assembly Appropriations
Committee on Wednesday August 16 (same bill number). If it passes the
Appropriations Committee, it goes to the full Assembly for final approval in late
August.
 
We have listed below a number of reasons to protect local control over
wireless facility siting, which are all reasons to oppose SB 1627. The revised
version of the bill, as of August 8, 2006, can be accessed by going to
http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/, click on Bill Information and enter SB 1627.
 
 We strongly urge you to immediately contact Senator Christine Kehoe, the
author of the bill in the California State Senate, and ask her to withdraw this
bill. Senator Kehoe's contact information is:
State Capitol
Room 3086
Sacramento CA 95814
(916) 651-4039
Fax (916) 327-2188
Email: [hidden email]
 
Also, please contact Judy Chu, Chairperson of Assembly Appropriations, where
the bill will next be reviewed (August 15) and ask her to oppose this bill.
Assembly member Chu’s contact information is:
Capitol Office
State Capitol
P.O. Box 942849
Sacramento, CA 94249-0049
[hidden email]
Phone: (916) 319-2049
Fax: (916) 319-2149
 
Members of the Assembly Appropriations Committee are listed below.
Reasons to Protect Local Control Over Wireless Telecommunications Facilities
 
·  Federal law explicitly preserves local zoning authority over cell sites
under the federal Telecommunications Act of 1996, with only specific, limited
restrictions.
 
·  Recent court decisions in California have affirmed, clarified,and
expanded local authority (see MetroPCS v. City and County of San Francisco 400 F.3d
715 (9th Cir. 2005)[1] and Sprint Telephony PCS v. County of San Diego, et al.,
(2006) 44 Cal.Rptr.3d 754 (California Court of Appeals for the Fourth
Appellate District).[2]
 
·  Corporate money and influence should not be allowed to trump existing law
and its reasoned judicial interpretation when court rulings are not entirely
favorable to the wireless industry.
 
·  Preservation of local control fosters democracy by providing for direct
participation in decision making by those most directly impacted by a proposed
cellular site.
 
·  Local land use controls permitted under the federal Telecommunications Act
of 1996 that allow for minimizing the number of antennas sites should not be
undermined given the mounting evidence of adverse health and biological
effects of chronic exposure to the continuous, low-level microwave radiation
emissions from cellular antennas and other wireless transmitters.
 
·  Although the federal Telecommunications Act of 1996 prohibits
consideration of health and environmental effects in local government antenna-permitting
decisions, the growing body of evidence on adverse health effects associated
with exposure to antenna emissions is sufficient reason to apply the
Precautionary Principle to avoid passing state legislation that encourages unregulated
proliferation of cellular antenna sites.
 
·  Because the liability risks associated with unchecked proliferation of
these potentially dangerous cellular antenna sites could be enormous for property
owners –  including, for example, the State of California, which owns public
school property where cellular sites may be erected – it is prudentto
maintain local community authority to minimize the number and regulate the location
of sites in sensitive areas.
 
·  The wireless industry is making a concerted effort nationwide to undermine
local and state regulation over wireless networks in the interests of
maximizing its profits and convenience.  If the industry is successfulin California –
e.g., through SB 1627 – this victory, in a state viewed by the rest of the
nation as environmentally progressive will set a dangerous precedent.

California Assembly Appropriations Committee Members

 
*If you live in California, please send a copy of your email or letter to
your State Assembly representative. 
 
Contact name
Party-District
Phone
How to Contact
 
Assembly Appropriations
Committee
 
(916) 319-2081
Steve Shays: Staff person for SB 1627
Judy Chu, Chair
Dem-49
(916) 319-2049
Capitol Office
State Capitol
P.O. Box 942849
Sacramento, CA 94249-0049
[hidden email]
Fax: (916) 319-2149
 
Monterey Park, El Monte
Sharon Runner, Vice Chair
Rep-36
916) 319-2036
State Capitol, Room 6031
P.O. Box 942849
Sacramento, CA 94249-0036
[hidden email]
Fax: (916) 319-2136
 
Victorville, Lancaster
Karen Bass
Dem-47
(916) 319-2047

State Capitol

Room 2117   

Sacramento,
CA                                                    
94249-0047

[hidden email]

Fax:(916) 319-2147

                                                       

Los Angeles
Patty Berg
 
Dem-1
(916) 319-2001

State Capitol

Room
4146                                    
Sacramento,
CA                                                         
94249-0001

[hidden email]
Fax: (916) 319-2101
 
Santa Rosa
Ronald S. Calderon
 
Dem-58
(916) 319-2058

State Capitol

Room 4016

Sacramento,
CA                                                       
94249-0058

[hidden email]
Fax: (916) 319-2158
 
Montebello 
Hector De La Torre
 
Dem-50
(916) 319-2050

State Capitol

Room
4162                          
Sacramento,
CA                                                   
94249-0050

[hidden email]
Fax: (916) 319 - 2150
 
South Gate
Bill Emmerson
Rep-63
(916) 319-2063

State Capitol

Room
3149                              
Sacramento,
CA                                                         
94249-0063                                                         

[hidden email]
Fax: (916) 319-2163
 
 
Rancho Cucamonga
 
Ray Haynes
 
 
Rep-66
(916) 319-2066

State Capitol

Room
4158                                 
Sacramento,
CA                                                         
94249-0066                                                         

[hidden email]
Fax: (916) 319-2166
 
Temucula
Betty Karnette
 
Dem-54
(916) 319-2054

State Capitol

Room 2176

Sacramento, CA

94249-0054

                                                     
[hidden email]
 
Long Beach
Johan Klehs
Dem-18
(916) 319-2018

State Capitol

Room
5150                          
Sacramento,
CA                                                         
94249-0018                                                      

Fax: (916) 319-2118
 
Hayward
Mark Leno
 
Dem-13
(916) 319-2013

State Capitol

Room
3146                          
Sacramento,
CA                                                         
94249-0013

[hidden email]
Fax: (916) 319-2113
 
San  Francisco
Alan Nakanish
Rep-10
(916) 319-2010

State Capitol

Room
5175                                                        
Sacramento,
CA                                                         
94249-0010                                                       

[hidden email]

Fax:  (916) 319-2110
 
Lodi
Joe Nation
 
Dem-6
(916) 319-2006

State Capitol

Room 5119

Sacramento,
CA                                                        
94249-0006

Fax: (916) 319-2106

 

Marin
Jenny Oropeza 
 
Dem-55
(916) 319-2055

State Capitol

Room 2148

Sacramento,
CA                                                        
94249-0055

[hidden email]
Fax: (916) 319-2155
 
Carson
 
Mark Ridley-Thomas
 
 
Dem-48
(916) 319-2048

State Capitol

Room
3152                                                        
Sacramento,
CA                                                         
94249-0048

[hidden email]
Fax: (916) 319 - 2148
 
Los Angeles
Lori Saldana
Dem-76
(916) 319-2076
 

State
Capitol                            
Room
3132                                                         
Sacramento,
CA                                                         
94249-0076

Fax: (916) 319 - 2176
 
San Diego
Mimi Walters
 
 
Rep-73
916) 319-2073

State Capitol

Room
4116                          
Sacramento,
CA                                                         
94249-0073

Fax: (916) 319-2173

 

Laguna Nigel
Leland Yee 
Dem-12
(916) 319-2012

State Capitol

Room
3173                                  
Sacramento,
CA                                                         
94249-0012                                                       

[hidden email]

Fax: (916) 319-2112
 
San Francisco   
It Is very important that we let our voices be heard on this bill.
Prepared by:
Libby Kelley, Council on Wireless Technology Impacts (CWTI)
[hidden email]
Doug Loranger, San Francisco Neighborhood Antenna Free Union (SNAFU)
[hidden email]
Nan Wishner, Cell Tower Free Albany (CTFA)
[hidden email]
 
 
[1] opinion available at:
http://www.ca9.uscourts.gov/ca9/newopinions.nsf/924A93785E9B655988256FBD005FBEB6/$file/0316759.pdf?openelement
 
[2] opinion available at:http://www.courtinfo
.ca.gov/opinions/documents/D045957.DOC


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