Telecommunications

(As Prepared for Delivery)

December 17, 2007 -- "Mr. President, I am troubled by the FISA bill that has come to the Senate floor. Since I introduced the original FISA legislation over 30 years ago, I’ve worked to amend the FISA law many times, and I believe that this bill is not faithful to the traditional balance that FISA has struck. This bill gives the Executive Branch vast new authorities to spy on Americans, without adequate guidance or oversight. Americans deserve better.    » read more »

December 17, 2007 -- Washington, DC – “Today, the U.S. Senate took up the FISA Amendments Act of 2007. The bill under consideration gives telecommunication companies blanket retroactive immunity for their alleged cooperation in the administration's warrantless wiretapping program. I continue to believe that a grant of retroactive immunity is unjustified, and I have co-sponsored Senator Dodd’s measure to remove that provision from the bill.    » read more »

December 17, 2007 -- “Senator Obama unequivocally opposes giving retroactive immunity to telecommunications companies and has cosponsored Senator Dodd's efforts to remove that provision from the FISA bill.

Granting such immunity undermines the constitutional protections Americans trust the Congress to protect. Senator Obama supports a filibuster of this bill, and strongly urges others to do the same. It's not clear whether he can return for the vote, but under the Senate rules, the side trying to end a filibuster must produce 60 votes to cut off debate.    » read more »

12.17.07 - Columbus, Ohio – Ohio Governor Ted Strickland today launched Connect Ohio, a public-private partnership that will help expand broadband services across the state by working with local communities and providers to map gaps in access.    » read more »

December 13, 2007 -- An agreement was reached early Thursday morning between the Maine Office of the Public Advocate and representatives of FairPoint and Verizon concerning a proposed sale of Verizon’s operations in Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont to FairPoint Communications.

The Public Advocate is charged with representing the interests of Maine consumers in utility regulatory matters.    » read more »

Fourteen Senators Urge Majority Leader to Take Up Senate Judiciary Committee Version of FISA Bill

December 12, 2007 -- Washington, DC – As the Senate prepares to consider legislation to update the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA), a group of senators is urging Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid to make the FISA bill passed by the Senate Judiciary Committee (SJC) the base bill to be considered on the Senate floor.    » read more »

State Forms Broadband Council to Support Key Component of “I Live NY” Initiative

December 6, 2007 -- New York Governor Eliot Spitzer and First Lady Silda Wall Spitzer today announced the formation of the New York State Council for Universal Broadband, which is charged with developing strategies to ensure every New Yorker has access to affordable, high-speed Internet service.    » read more »

11/20/2007 -- Continuing his historic commitment to expand broadband network access across California, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger today announced a $22 million grant award to the California Telehealth Network by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC).    » read more »

November 19, 2007 -- HAMMOND, IN – Indiana Attorney General Steve Carter has filed a lawsuit against three Illinois-based companies for making illegal pre-recorded sales calls to Indiana citizens whose phone numbers are registered on the state’s Do Not Call list. The named companies in the lawsuit, Sonnenschein Financial Services, Sonnenschein Marketing Services and Target Marketing of Illinois, Inc., are alleged to have used an automated dialing machine to call nearly 80 phone numbers.    » read more »

Company advertised “free” cell phone ringtones, but instead allegedly signed consumers up for monthly subscription plans through their wireless carriers

November 15, 2007 -- TALLAHASSEE, FL – Florida Attorney General Bill McCollum today announced that his office has sued an internet marketing company, alleging it was engaging in blatantly deceptive business practices and cramming charges onto consumers’ wireless phone bills.    » read more »

Amendment to FISA Legislation Before Senate Judiciary Committee Would Allow Courts to Rule on Warrantless Wiretapping

November 14, 2007 -- Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Russ Feingold will offer an amendment in the Senate Judiciary Committee tomorrow to strike retroactive immunity for telecommunications companies alleged to have assisted with the President’s illegal warrantless wiretapping program.    » read more »

November 13, 2007 -- Connecticut Attorney General Richard Blumenthal and Department of Consumer Protection (DCP) Commissioner Jerry Farrell, Jr. today announced that paid charitable phone solicitors in 2006 passed on to groups that hired them an average of 32.79 percent of funds raised, one of the lowest levels in a decade.

Last year's rate rivaled the approximately 32.8 percent turned over in 2004 and 1997, the lowest two of the last ten years. The amount was down nearly two percentage points from 2005 when paid phone solicitors turned over an average of 34.45 percent.    » read more »

United States Senate Judiciary Committee Executive Meeting

November 8, 2007 -- "This is an important mark-up. The Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act is one of our landmark statutes. For nearly 30 years, it has regulated government surveillance in a way that protects both our national security and our civil liberties and prevents the government from abusing its powers. It is because FISA enhances both security and liberty that it has won such broad support over the years from presidents, members of Congress, and the public alike.    » read more »

November 6, 2007 -- Las Vegas, NV — The Nevada Attorney General’s Bureau of Consumer Protection, under the direction of Consumer Advocate, Eric Witkoski, today issued the following consumer advisory with important updates concerning the National Do Not Call Registry.    » read more »

November 1, 2007 -- NEWARK – A Howell-based company has agreed to pay $120,000 in penalties and to not engage in activities that violate the state’s Do Not Call Law, Consumer Fraud Act and Deceptive Mail Order Practices Regulations, under terms of two Consent Orders with the Division of Consumer Affairs.    » read more »