[HQRP] Meeting with Rep. Cook RE: HB 1148

[Glen Reid]

This morning I met with Rep. Robby Cook and his assistant Any Loos. 
They were both very interested in learning how they could improve HB
1148.
  
Rep. Cook made it clear that HB 1148 was a "work in progress" and that
he was willing to modify the language to avoid any unintended
consequences.  It is aimed at the cell and PCS companies its effect on
others is unintentional.  

Primarily, he is concerned with the hazard to safety created by cell and
PCS towers that are erected in a matter of a couple of weeks.  Rep. Cook
is in the farm and ranch business and has apparently been approached by
some of his constituents in the crop dusting business about the mushroom
like appearance of cell towers in places where they weren't a short time
ago.  He seems most concerned that towers under 200 feet are mostly
unregulated and that these towers and their guy wires pose a hazard to
low flying aircraft.   I sense there is also an environmental protection
component to the reasoning behind this bill, but it will be probably be
defended most effectively on the life safety issues.

Please don't underestimate the potential for this bill to grow legs, the
group pressing for it is apparently well organized and have already
contacted several legislators.  This is a serious matter and we need to
treat it as such. 

I suggest that you do contact your legislators to express your concerns
about HB 1148, but please be polite and rational.  Amy told me that she
has received some  of threatening, irrational calls and emails with
reference to this bill.  Give her a break and get in touch with your rep
and senator.  No bill gets passed without a majority of support in both
the House and the Senate.  Be nice.  Bluster, threats and verbal fist
waving will just get your concerns relegated to the "kook and space
cadet" file.  Don't just tell 'em that they can't do this cause the "FCC
or the feds won't let'em".

I think that the ARRL would like to have copies of your coorepondence
with your legislators.

Again, be nice, express your concerns rationally, offer to help work
around the "unfortunate, unintended consequences" in the bill as
drafted.  

Rep. Cook asked if I would assist them in suggesting some language that
could be used to improve the bill.  Jim Haynie, ARRL President has
already  supplied  an excellent amateur radio exclusion clause.  I sense
that Rep. Cook is not ready to write exclusions into the bill just yet.  
It is early in the session.

I will be responding with some suggestions, if you have good ideas let
me know about them and I will get it to Amy and Rep. Cook. Send your
suggestions to your legislators also.

There is still no corresponding bill in the Senate, that is good.  

The bill has been assigned to the House Subcommittee on County Affairs. 
I will be researching the membership of that group and send it out
later.  It will be important that the members of the committee be
informed about the impact of the bill on their constituents.



73,

gr

-- 
GLEN REID
...in the beautiful hill country of TEXAS...
Email:  k5fx@arrl.net

"The difference between genius and stupidity is that genius has its
limits"
---
Send e-mail to 'listar@stevens.com' with subject:

  'unsubscribe hqrp'  to unsubscribe from this list
  'subscribe hqrp'    to subscribe from this list
  'help'              for more information