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Tell your state representative to

VOTE NO ON AB 965!

Your Quick Action Is Needed!!!

California Assembly Bill AB965 “ Local government: broadband permit applications” allows wireless providers to apply for cell tower transmitter permits in batches of 50 or more, and if not approved quickly enough according to the FCC shot clock, they are deemed approved automatically. Read a factsheet on AB965 here. 

This bill has passed two California Assembly policy committees and is now headed to the Appropriations Committee, it will most likely be heard Wednesday, May 10th.

Today please write a one paragraph opposition statement based on cost to the state (since the Appropriations Committee only cares about the monetary cost to the state). You are welcome to use the information below or write your own. 

Send emails to:  [email protected], [email protected],  [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected]

Subject Line: “Group Opposition Letter AB965”

Text of the message can include: 

“We Oppose AB965. Please do not pass this bill to a full Assembly vote.” feel free to write 2 sentences using any of the arguments below in your own words:

  1. Exposes the state and local governments unnecessarily to industry liability and legal defense costs 
  2. It would set the state back in terms of climate change management because wireless is a huge energy waster compared to other technologies like fiber. 
  3. Cost to do business in California due to inadequate wireless speed, capacity, security, and safety compared with other technologies like fiber being rolled out in other states and countries.
  4. Write your own argument of cost to the state.
AB 965, as amended, Juan Carrillo.
Local government: broadband permit applications.(1) Existing law, the Permit Streamlining Act, governs the approval process that a city or county is required to follow when approving, among other things, a permit for construction or reconstruction for a development project for a wireless telecommunications facility and a collocation or siting application for a wireless telecommunications facility.
This bill would require a city, county, city and county, charter city, special district, or publicly owned utility, local agency to undertake batch broadband permit processing, as defined, upon receiving 2 or more broadband permit applications for substantially similar broadband project sites submitted at the same time by the same applicant, within a presumptively reasonable time, as defined. The bill would define “local agency” for these purposes to mean a city, county, city and county, charter city, special district, or, subject to specified exceptions, publicly owned utility. If a city, county, city and county, charter city, special district, or publicly owned utility local agency does not approve those broadband permit applications for substantially similar broadband project sites and issue permits, or reject the applications and notify the applicants, within the presumptively reasonable time, the bill would require that all of those permits be deemed approved.
The bill would authorize a city, county, city and county, charter city, special district, or publicly owned utility local agency to place reasonable limits on the number of broadband project sites that are grouped into a single permit while undertaking batch broadband permit processing and to processing, as specified. The bill would provide that a local agency may only remove a broadband project site from grouping under a single permit, only permit under mutual agreement with the application applicant or to expedite the approval of other substantially similar broadband project sites. The bill would specify that these provisions do not apply to eligible facility requests, as defined.
(2) The bill would include findings that changes proposed by this bill address a matter of statewide concern rather than a municipal affair and, therefore, apply to all cities, including charter cities.
(3) By imposing new duties on local agencies with regard to the processing of broadband permit applications, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program.The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement.This bill would provide that no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason.
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https://ehtrust.org/california-all-hands-on-deck/ Source: Environmental Health Trust