STATES
WISCONSIN -- Gov. Thompson nominates Garvin to PSC
GEORGIA -- BellSouth, AT&T agree to $19 million access charge reduction
CALIFORNIA -- Group appeals to Davis; says taxpayers shouldn't foot
Duque's legal bill
MISSOURI -- Bill would require election of PSC commissioners
MISSISSIPPI -- Bill seeks to prevent 'slamming'
MONT.-- Bill requiring carriers to aid telemarketing probes moves to
House floor
OKLAHOMA -- SW Bell expands UNE discount list
KENTUCKY -- PSC to revisit N11 dialing codes
CONNECTICUT -- Lawmakers consider telecom consumer protection bills
CONNECTICUT -- Bill would make Siting Council follow local zoning regs
NEW HAMPSHIRE -- PUC mulls fines for two rural ILECs and their officers
NORTH DAKOTA -- Bill would require carriers to develop high-usage policy

REGIONAL
Second workshop set on Qwest market entry bid
Qwest says it's improving customer service

STATE & LOCAL GOVERNMENT
WISCONSIN
Gov. Thompson nominates Garvin to PSC

Gov. Tommy Thompson (R.) has nominated Robert Garvin to the Public
Service Commission to fill the vacancy that will be created when John H.
Farrow, who has asked not to be reappointed when his term expires March
1, steps down.  The nomination is subject to Senate confirmation.

Garvin has been an executive assistant at the PSC since June 1998,
responsible for managing the commission's daily operations and providing
legal and policy advice on a variety of regulatory matters.  Previously,
he was the commission's staff attorney and legislative liaison.

Gov. Thompson also reappointed Ave Bie as chairwoman of the three-member
commission.  She's serving a term that expires in 2005.

CUSTOMER-AFFECTING
GEORGIA
BellSouth, AT&T agree to $19 million access charge reduction

The Public Service Commission announced that BellSouth
Telecommunications, Inc., has agreed to reduce its access charges by $19
million.  The reduction follows private negotiations between BellSouth
and AT&T Corp.  Beginning July 1, 2001, Georgia will have "among the
lowest regional Bell operating company rates in the nation," the PSC
stated.

STATE & LOCAL GOVERNMENT
CALIFORNIA
Group appeals to Davis; says taxpayers shouldn't foot Duque's legal bill

The Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights has asked Gov. Gray
Davis (D.) to intervene and reverse a Public Utilities Commission
decision that taxpayers should pay Public Utilities Commissioner Henry
Duque's (R.) legal fees defending against conflict-of-interest charges.
The foundation filed a lawsuit in late December in San Francisco County
Superior Court seeking to remove Duque from office.

The complaint alleges that Duque owned stock in a company regulated by
the PUC, Nextel Communications, Inc., in violation of a state law
prohibiting commissioners from holding stock in the companies they
regulate.  (1/2/01 p.m.)

The foundation said a Public Records Act request revealed that PUC
President Loretta Lynch (D.) decided that taxpayer money should be used
for Duque's legal defense.  (12/11/00 a.m.)  The foundation says there's
no legal requirement that the commission pay Duque's legal fees.  "The
PUC should not be committing public resources to defend Mr. Duque for
illegal acts clearly outside the scope of his public duties," it said.

The foundation also pointed to a Nov. 29 opinion issued by state
Attorney General Bill Lockyer (D.) that cleared the way for the
foundation's lawsuit.  In that opinion, Lockyer concluded, "It would,
therefore, appear that the defendant's office became vacant immediately
upon his acquisition of the 700 shares of Nextel on May 12, 1999.  The
fact that the defendant subsequently disposed of the prohibited interest
is immaterial and did not operate to restore him to the vacated office."

Under California law, the AG must approve all quo warranto lawsuits
filed by private individuals in the name of the state of California.
Quo warranto lawsuits are civil actions filed in an attempt to force a
public official to forfeit an office for misconduct. (12/6/00 a.m.)

FUTURE OF REGULATION
MISSOURI
Bill would require election of PSC commissioners

Sen. Doyle Childers (R., District 29) has introduced a resolution that
would provide for the election of nine members to the Public Service
Commission, one from each U.S. congressional district.  Currently, the
governor appoints the PSC's four members.

SJR 6 has been referred to the Senate Financial and Governmental
Organization, Veterans' Affairs, and Elections Committee.

CUSTOMER-AFFECTING
MISSISSIPPI
Bill seeks to prevent 'slamming'

Rep. Stephen Holland (D., District 16) has introduced a bill that would
prohibit telecom companies from changing a consumer's service provider
without authorization.  HB 785 would require a company to receive
written authorization from the consumer, toll-free electronic
authorization from the telephone number in question, or oral
authorization from an independent third party before changing a
subscriber's service.  The service provider also would have to send the
subscriber written verification of the change within 30 days.

A customer who paid service charges after an unauthorized change of
service had occurred would be able to inform his or her authorized
carrier of the situation.  The authorized company then could ask the
allegedly unauthorized company for evidence confirming the consumer's
request to switch providers.

The allegedly unauthorized service provider would have to respond within
10 days either by sending a confirmation of the subscriber's request to
change companies or compensating the subscriber in an amount equal to
what the subscriber paid to the unauthorized company.

HB 785 would allow the Public Service Commission to ask the attorney
general to review potential slamming violations.  The AG could order a
civil penalty of up to $2,000 for each violation.  The PSC would have to
promulgate rules to enact the legislation.

HB 785 has been referred to the House Public Utilities Committee.

CUSTOMER-AFFECTING
MONTANA
Bill requiring carriers to aid telemarketing probes moves to House floor

The House Business and Labor Committee has passed a bill that would
require local exchange carriers (LECs) and interexchange carriers (IXCs)
to cooperate with Department of Commerce investigations of alleged
violations of the state's Telemarketing Registration and Fraud
Prevention Act.  The bill (HB 84) has passed its second reading in the
House by a 58-41 vote.  It now advances to the House floor to be
considered for passage to the Senate.

HB 84, which was sponsored by Rep. Trudi Schmidt (D., District 42),
originally would have applied only to LECs, but the Business and Labor
Committee amended the bill to apply to IXCs as well.  (12/4/00 p.m.)

The telemarketing act prohibits sellers or telemarketers from engaging
in acts such as (1) requesting a fee to remove derogatory information
from or to improve a person's credit history; (2) using threatening,
intimidating, or profane language; or (3) behaving in a manner that a
reasonable person would consider annoying, abusive, or harassing.

SECTION 251/252
OKLAHOMA
SW Bell expands UNE discount list

Southwestern Bell Telephone Co. has expanded the discount unbundled
network element (UNE) items available for lease to competitors in
Oklahoma on a nondiscriminatory basis.  The company expanded its list
during negotiations with the state Corporation Commission regarding its
alternative regulation rules.  At that time, SW Bell agreed to discounts
on a list of unbundled network elements that are needed most by
competitors.

The expanded list of discounts is included in an interconnection
agreement SW Bell negotiated with Logix Communications Enterprises,
Inc.  The agreement calls for discounts of up to 25% on the nonrecurring
charges on UNEs designed to bring the rates charged in Oklahoma in line
with lower UNE rates recently approved in Texas and Kansas.

Commission Chairman Bob Anthony said, "Taken together, the alternative
regulation rules and the expanded list included in the Logix
interconnection agreement bring Oklahoma in line with the lowest UNE
rates charged within the Southwestern Bell region."

CUSTOMER-AFFECTING
KENTUCKY
PSC to revisit N11 dialing codes

The Public Service Commission has decided to reopen its investigation of
the allocation of N11 dialing codes.  The commission's decision responds
to BellSouth Telecommunications, Inc.'s Dec. 11, 2000, filing of tariffs
to implement the "511," "211," and "711" dialing codes.

In its third report and order on reconsideration (FCC Docket no.
92-105), the FCC assigned the "511" dialing code for traveler
information, the "211" dialing code for access to communication
information and referral services, and the "711" dialing code for
telecom relay service.  (Administrative case no. 343 - In the Matter of
Investigation into the Assignment of Abbreviated N11 Dialing Codes)

CUSTOMER-AFFECTING
CONNECTICUT
Lawmakers consider telecom consumer protection bills

Three telecom consumer protection bills have been introduced in the
Senate.  Sen. Judith G. Freedman (R., District 26) has introduced a bill
(SB 183) that would require companies to provide a written address on
bills or in directories where customers can send complaints.  She also
has introduced a bill (SB 184) that would require phone companies to
establish a common toll-free, three-digit number for customers to call
to report telephone outages.

Sen. Stephen R. Somma (District 16) has introduced a bill (SB 238) that
would mandate a reduction in the rate for long distance dialing blocking
charged to elderly or disabled persons living in a special care facility
such as a nursing home.

The three bills have been referred to the Joint Energy and Technology
Committee.  The text of SB 183 is available at
http://www.cga.state.ct.us/2001/tob/s/2001SB-00183-R00-SB.htm.  SB 184's
text is available at
http://www.cga.state.ct.us/2001/tob/s/2001SB-00184-R00-SB.htm.  The text
of SB 238 is available at
http://www.cga.state.ct.us/2001/tob/s/2001SB-00238-R00-SB.htm.

WIRELESS
CONNECTICUT
Bill would make Siting Council follow local zoning regs

State Rep. Philip F. Prelli (R., District 63) has introduced legislation
(HB 5078) that would require the Connecticut Siting Council to "adhere
to all previously enacted local zoning ordinances and regulations" when
choosing sites for telecom towers.  The bill has been referred to the
Committee on Energy and Technology.  The bill's text is available at
http://www.cga.state.ct.us/2001/tob/h/2001HB-05078-R00-HB.htm.

PRICING
NEW HAMPSHIRE
PUC mulls fines for two rural ILECs and their officers

The Public Utility Commission has directed rural incumbent local
exchange carriers, Wilton Telephone Co. and Hollis Telephone Co., to
appear for a Jan. 30 hearing "to show cause why the companies, their
officers, and agents should not be fined for failure to comply" with a
1999 agreement settling a rate controversy.  The commission also is
considering withdrawing the companies' authority to do business in New
Hampshire.

In 1999 the companies signed an agreement admitting that their financial
reporting had been "inaccurate and misleading" and that they had
"understated" earnings reported to the commission.  The agreement, which
settled a 1998 investigation, required the companies to pay cash
penalties, make changes in personnel, and take other steps to come into
full compliance with PUC rules.

The commission said its staff presented a follow-up report last month
finding that the companies aren't in compliance with the agreement in a
number of areas, including the required personnel changes.  The staff
also found that the companies are "earning in excess of their last found
cost of capital."

The PUC ordered the companies to prefile written testimony by Dec. 22.
(Docket nos. DT 00-294, DT 00-295)

LONG DISTANCE
NORTH DAKOTA
Bill would require carriers to develop high-usage policy

Rep. Byron Clark (R., District 44) and Sen. Tim Flakoll (R., District
44) have introduced a bill that would require interexchange carriers
(IXCs) to develop a policy defining "unusually high usage" and provide
that policy to any individual on request.  The IXCs would have to notify
customers when "unusually high usage" of IXC service occurs on their
accounts.

If an IXC provided notice of unusually high usage to its billing agent
or for any other purpose, the carrier would have to provide notice to
the customer.

HB 1214 has been referred to the House Finance and Taxation Committee.

LONG DISTANCE
IDAHO, IOWA, MONTANA, NORTH DAKOTA, UTAH, WYOMING, NEW MEXICO
Second workshop set on Qwest market entry bid

The seven state regulatory commissions participating in a joint
examination of Qwest Corp.'s bid to enter in-region interLATA (local
access and transport area) markets under section 271 of the federal
Telecommunications Act of 1996 are scheduled to hold their second
workshop Jan. 16-19 in Boise, Idaho.

The workshop will begin with a review of the collocation provisions of
Qwest's statement of generally available terms.  Participants also will
discuss reciprocal compensation and any other issues that weren't
completed during the initial workshop.  After completing work on the
left-over issues, participants will move on to emerging services such as
packet switching, line sharing, dark fiber, and subloops.

CUSTOMER-AFFECTING
ARIZONA, COLORADO, IDAHO, IOWA, MINNESOTA, MONTANA, NEBRASKA, NEW
MEXICO, NORTH DAKOTA, OREGON, SOUTH DAKOTA, UTAH, WASHINGTON, WYOMING
Qwest says it's improving customer service

Qwest Communications International, Inc., has said it improved customer
service throughout its 14-state region in 2000.  The company said it met
nearly 98% of the more than 18 million installation commitments.  Qwest
said its performance was the best in five years.  About 95% of total
repair commitments were met on time, and repeat repairs decreased by
more than 2%, Qwest reported.

Afshin Mohebbi, Qwest president-worldwide operations, said, "By adding
more than 750 local network people in key areas throughout the region
since last July, we have taken a strong step toward making service
improvements for all of our customers."

These service improvements are a part of Qwest's plan to improve service
significantly by year-end.  In September 2000 Qwest said it planned to
reduce delayed installations for primary service to their lowest level
in the last four years.  Additionally, the company said it expects to
reduce repeat repair calls by 20%-30% by the end of 2001.

Qwest also committed capital investments of $9 billion for 2000 and $9.5
billion for 2001 to improve service, to double the customers using
digital subscriber line and wireless services, to double its Web hosting
capacity, and to expand its data and Internet services.

Yesterday Qwest also unveiled permanent line sharing agreements with
MULTIBAND Communications, Inc., New Edge Networks, NorthPoint
Communications, Inc., and Contact Communications.  Line sharing
agreements enable competitors to use the high-frequency portion of the
loop for data transmission, while Qwest continues to provide voice
service over the low-frequency portion.  Permanent line sharing
agreements now are available to all wholesale customers, Mohebbi said.

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without permission of the publisher.

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