The Ferguson Group Blog

FCC Passes E-Rate Reform

President Obama’s 2013 goal to hook American students up to high-speed internet within five years looks more promising after Friday’s FFC approval to modernize the E-Rate program.

E-rate is the Universal Service Fund subsidy that goes to providing Internet access to schools and libraries.  Friday’s vote approved a plan to spend an additional $2 billion to boost wireless Internet connectivity in U.S. schools and libraries over the next two years. Additionally, it plans to phase out subsidies for old technologies like pagers and dial-up phone service in order to subsidize broadband and wireless Internet connections.

Are your schools, school districts or libraries looking to fund telecommunications, telecommunications services, internet access, internal connections and maintenance? Check out the FCC’s E-Rate program here.

Internet Tax Bill Takes a Step Forward

After a decade of stop-and-go progress on passage of the Marketplace Fairness Act, the Senate voted today on legislation granting states the power to collect sales tax from online retailers, clearing the Senate with 70 votes. Now it is the House’s turn to begin consideration of the bill.

With only 65 co-sponsors and a House Judiciary Chairman, Bob Goodlatte, who has reservations about it but has vowed to hold a hearing on the bill,  proponents in the House have an uphill battle.

Wednesday News Roundup

Every Wednesday, The Ferguson Group blog will be posting a series of articles published over the previous week that discuss topics of interest to local governments. Learn about emerging trends and keep up on key policy issues by browsing the TFG Wednesday News Roundup!

Skilled-Worker Visas Eyed in Immigration Debate

With immigration reform as a top priority in Congress, there is a strong push from tech industries to raise the H-1B visa limit from 65,000 to 300,000.  Some in the industry argue the U.S. does not turn out enough math and science graduates to fill their positions, yet others believe the shortage of skilled American workers is exaggerated. Read More…

Some Small Businesses Opt for the Health-Care Penalty

When the new health-care law begins next year, some small-business owners will have to make the choice between providing healthcare to all their full-time employees or paying a penalty to avoid the new law’s “employer mandate.”  Some employers say the burden may be too hefty, and elect to pay fines.  Read More…

Energy Tax Reform a Heavy Lift for Lawmakers

Congress plans to tackle energy tax policy issues in the near future, but massive amounts of data must be sifted through before a detailed plan can be produced.  Lawmakers say that in order to make good policies, they need to have the most accurate analysis, even if it that takes more time than anticipated.  Read More…

'Obama Phones’ Subsidy Program Draws New Scrutiny on the Hill

The Lifeline program has provided discounted phone service to low-income subscribers for 28 years, but with recent increases in the cost of the program, lawmakers on the Hill are taking a closer look at it.  Read More…

Senators Move to Stop Flight Tower Closures

This summer the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is set to close 149 air traffic control towers, but a bipartisan group of 18 Senators are looking to stop the closures with the Protect Our Skies Act. Read More…

Emanuel Highlights Need for Infrastructure Investment

Last Friday many of us were busy doing our part to grow our nation’s retail economy and you may have missed an editorial that appeared in that day’s Washington Post. Chicago’s Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s piece, “How to Rebuild America,” details a number of initiatives, including his vision for the restoration of infrastructure in Chicago and beyond.

“While infrastructure improvements have been neglected on a federal level for decades, Chicago is making one of the nation’s largest coordinated investments, putting 30,000 residents to work over the next three years improving our roads, rails and runways; repairing our aged water system; and increasing access to gigabit-speed broadband. We are paying for these critical improvements through a combination of reforms, efficiencies and direct user fees, as well as creating the nation’s first city-level public-private infrastructure bank.,” said Emanuel.

For details on the Mayor’s infrastructure investments, see this release from his office, highlighting 269 miles of alleys and streets resurfaced, 134 miles of water main improvements, and six rebuilt bridges.

It’s good to see another voice added to the chorus of elected officials who see infrastructure restoration as an essential need and vital job creation engine.

President Obama Reportedly Advancing Cybersecurity Executive Order

Congressional inaction on cybersecurity legislation is pushing the Obama Administration to implement its own cybersecurity rules through Administrative Orders.  Senate leaders have long sought agreement on new legislation that would enhance and protect the nation’s information technology and computer systems, based on expert advice from leaders in the field.  Agreement on how extensive new requirements should be and whether the federal government or the private sector should be defining the framework has produced a legislative impasse for the past two years.  Staff in the White House, Senate and House had several negotiating sessions during the August recess but negotiators failed to produce a majority-winning compromise.  Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) has reportedly reserved time on the Senate floor in October for consideration, industry leaders claiming this was the last best time for consideration in the current Congress.

Meanwhile, the White House has reportedly drafted an executive order that would, through regulatory authority, accomplish much of what has been deemed non-controversial by negotiators. According to the Democratic Party’s 2012 platform released Sept. 3, Obama supports the Senate cybersecurity bill, but “going forward, the President will continue to take executive action to strengthen and update our cyber defenses.”  Senators Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) and John Rockefeller (D-WV) wrote the President last month saying that they endorsed the President’s approach, acknowledging little path beyond the legislative impasse. 

 

Time for the House to Move on the Farm Bill

Last week, the Senate passed the Agriculture Reform, Food and Jobs Act of 2012, S. 3240, by a vote of 64-35 after voting on nearly 70 amendments. Of particular interest to local governments, the bill reauthorizes various broadband programs - the Distance Learning and Telemedicine Grant program is reauthorized with no changes, and the Broadband Access Program is changed substantially to the benefit of local governments. It provides a grant and loan component — similar to the stimulus broadband programs — unlike the previous Farm Bill program that relied solely on loans for broadband expansion. Local governments are eligible loan and grant recipients and all applicants are required to collaborate with their units of local government (if the applicant is not the local government, but a private entity).

The rural business programs are reorganized: the Rural Business Opportunity Grant program and Rural Business Enterprise Grant programs are consolidated into the Rural Business Development Grants program.

The conservation title of the bill was cut by $6.44 billion, largely by reducing the Conservation Reserve Program and consolidating 23 existing programs into 13. The bill combines the easement authorities of the Wetlands Reserve Program, Grasslands Reserve Program, and Farmland Protection Program into a new Agricultural Conservation Easement Program in which local governments will still be eligible to preserve working agricultural lands.

Finally, the bill includes an amendment introduced by Senator Sherrod Brown (D-OH) that reinstates $150 million in mandatory funding to rural development and beginning farmer/rancher programs. The bill passed by the Senate Agriculture Committee did not include mandatory funding for any programs in the rural development title, but the final Senate-passed bill includes funds for the water/wastewater backlog, two rural development business programs, and additional funds for the Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program.

Action on the Farm Bill now turns to the House, where the House Agriculture Committee is scheduled to mark up its version of the bill on July 11.

Please contact me at [email protected] if you have any questions.

D Block Legislative Developments

This week Representatives Eshoo and Waxman introduced the Wireless Innovation and Public Safety Act of 2011,  which is designed to create a nationwide, interoperable public safety broadband network and to provide the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) with incentive auction authority to repurpose broadcast spectrum and fund the creation of the interoperable public safety broadband network.

Included in this legislation is a grant program for local governments that will support the implementation of Next Generation 911 services. This grant program would provide $250,000,000 over five years  for local governments to upgrade to Next Generation 9-1-1 services by enabling the delivery of voice, text, photos, video, and other data to 9-1-1 call centers.

House Energy and Commerce Communications and Technology Subcommittee Chairman Greg Walden also unveiled related legislation, the Jumpstarting Opportunity with Broadband Spectrum (JOBS) Act of 2011, this week. House Energy and Commerce Committee Republicans and Democrats are negotiating to potentially reach consensus on the legislation. 

  Amanda Wood

Guide to the American Jobs Act for Local Governments

Last week, President Obama addressed a Joint Session of Congress and outlined his strategy to help boost the economy and create more jobs in America.  On Monday, September 12th, he sent the American Jobs Act (AJA) to the Hill. In outlining his legislative proposal, the President declared that this bill would “provide a jolt to an economy that has stalled” and repeatedly urged Congress to “pass this jobs bill.”

Although Congress is unlikely to quickly pass the AJA in its entirety, several elements of the proposal have attracted preliminary support from House Republican leadership and it is possible that segments of the legislation will be considered by Congress in the coming months. To view an overview of how new federal funding might flow to local governments if the AJA is enacted, please visit our Guide to the American Jobs Act. Stay tuned to this blog to remain up-to-speed on the progress to enact the AJA.

Local Government Groups Oppose H.R.1002

Several local government interest groups wrote to the House Committee on the Judiciary expressing opposition to H.R. 1002, the Wireless Tax Fairness Act of 2011, noting that the bill preempts state and local taxing authority. H.R. 1002 is scheduled to be marked up by the Judiciary Committee today. The letter was signed by: the National Association of Counties, the United States Conference of Mayors, the International City/County Management Association, the Government Finance Officers Association and the National Association of Telecommunications Officers and Advisors. If your Representative serves on the House Committee on the Judiciary, contact them at (202) 224-3121 about opposing H.R. 1002.