
SACRAMENTO (AP) — Gov. Jerry Brown announced Friday that he had signed a bill curbing regulatory oversight of phone calls made over the internet.
The Democratic governor said the legislation, which is backed by AT&T Inc. and Verizon Communications Inc., will encourage the growth of “innovative services that have become the hallmark of our state.”
READ MORE: See Who Won During The Golden Globe AwardsMembers of the California Public Utilities Commission said SB 1161 would prevent them from regulating any telephone services, because land-line phones now use technology that sends voice signals over the Internet.
READ MORE: 2 Riverside Co. Sheriff's Deputies Recovering After Being Hit By Delivery Van; 2 Women KilledConsumer advocates also opposed the bill, and said it would enable companies to skirt regulations that help low-income and disabled customers.
Democratic Sen. Alex Padilla (D- LA), said he wrote the legislation to protect the vitality of the state’s wireless industry.
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