Select Page

Take Action on Tons of California Telecom Telecom 5G Streamline Bills

 

The California State Legislature has introduced several bills which help to strip away  local control over the deployment of wireless telecommunications facilities, including 5G antennas, in public rights-of-way.    Over half the states in the US have passed these industry friendly 5G streamlining bills. They are Bills from ALEC – the American Legislative Exchange Council.

The new CA bills are very similar to a bill  that was ultimately vetoed by the CA Governor  in 2017 – SB 649.  EHT compiled extensive resources from that 2017 fight that can be used to stop AB537 & SB556.  At that time, numerous doctors, scientists, and California Cities opposed SB 649. Over 300 cities opposed SB.649 and the Governor  ultimately vetoed the bill stating: “I believe that the interest which localities have in managing rights of way requires a more balanced solution than the one achieved in this bill.” See a list of letters, videos and news stories  on this page documenting the strong opposition to SB 649.

Now California is facing several Bills- each one chipping away at a localities right to make decisions about cell antennas in their community. In 2021, it is not just one bill, but several bills!


Take Action Now

 
Please contact your state assembly members and senators. http://www.legislature.ca.gov/your_legislator.html 
AB 537 closes the gap in the legislation passed in 2015 (AB 57), which did not include co-locations of additional antenna in the “deemed approval process” –whereby the telecoms got their permits automatically approved if the city did not respond within a short shotclock period.  That legislation exempted co-locations from deemed approval so this bill will include them, making it much easier for telecoms to keep adding on antennas without oversight from the local government.

AB 955 has the goal of speeding thru approval without the usual oversight and removes CEQA (ie environmental impact) reviews from the hands of local governments, and negatively impacts protection for Native American burial grounds.

Call into the 1:30 PM Hearing
The Assembly Communications and Conveyance Committee will hear AB 537, and other broadband related bills on April 28. The entire agenda is broadband and small cell bills. This is a very important hearing to comment in opposition to 537.

Apr 28 at 1:30 p.m.  Call in to the hearing at 1:30   (877) 692-8957 (PIN: 2426237)

Details are here: https://acom.assembly.ca.gov/hearings

Legal Letters by the Law Office of Harry Lehmann Regarding the California Bills 

Download Flyers

Assembly Communications and Conveyance Committee

https://seuc.senate.ca.gov/committeehome

May 3, 2021: SB 556 will be heard in the Senate Appropriations Committee on May 3.

The format for sending emails to senators is Senator.Hueso@senate.ca.gov.  Be sure to spell out the word senate, since some people mistakenly were sending emails to senators using the abbreviated “sen” which does not go through.  It is also good to send a copy to the senator for your own district. 

“This is a dangerous time and whatever you can do to help will be greatly appreciated by Californians and others across the country. I believe the division of these bills into parcels is a test to see if telecom can get away with a very clever ruse. We can’t let this happen. Please let your city/county leaders know about these bills. Very few people I know are even aware of the legislation that has been introduced. Yet right now the committee members are treating these bills like they have the future of baseball, mother’s milk and apple pie all rolled into one heroic effort.”

Talking Points: Fire risks associated with the massive influx of cell towers, loss of local control, and the simple fact 5G is not for voice at this point, does not facilitate Internet connections & does not bridge the digital divide and thus is false advertising amidst the pandemic/lockdown are all critical talking points.

Also, for reference, please see the following consultant analysis of various Bills.

AB 34 “municipal broad band for all”  consultant analysis on is also instructive because it talks about LOCAL GOVERNMENT and mentions a 2020 CA Gov broadband council action plan.  (wired is not specifically mentioned in the bill or the report)
SB 556 and SB 378 with are both up in committee and both completely ignore the recommendations in this report produced by California. Both eliminate local control.

WHAT CA SB-556 WOULD DO:

“SB 556 “Street Light Poles, Traffic Signal Poles, Utility Poles, and Support Structures: Attachments” is an attempt by the telecommunications industry to undermine local authority while making no meaningful progress towards closing the digital divide in California’s unserved and underserved communities.” Opposition by League of California Cities: Link

 

Testimony Against SB.649 — June 28, 2017 (12 minutes)

  1. June 28, 2017: Ann Lee, MD and her son, 10-year old Justin Stephenhttps://youtu.be/OgNLR9fQOX4
  2. June 28, 2017: Nina Beety, WARN: Wireless Radiation Alert Network → https://youtu.be/j3MHSNhxba4
  3. June 28, 2017: Shary Nunan, PhD Electromagnetic Sensitive Californian → https://youtu.be/j3MHSNhxba4?t=2m49s
  4. June 28, 2017: Josh Hart, Stop Smartmeters → https://youtu.be/kjInl7SgVZY
  5. June 28, 2017: Paul McGavin, Founder, S4WT: Scientists for Wired Tech → https://youtu.be/hyfRE_zGF9I?t=3
  6. June 28, 2017: Sam Licardo, Mayor of San Jose → https://youtu.be/krFDQNH_2kQ

 

This is a MUST WATCH video on California’s streamlining bill from 2017 highlighting the firefighters fight to keep cell towers off their stations due to the injuries firefighters sustained from the radiation.

 

 

Resources

California faced a bill like this a few years ago called SB 649
Please utilize these resources below generated during that successful fight.

Letter from Environmental Working Group To California State Officials July 26, 2017 Read the EWG post on SB649. “Cellphone Safety: Industry Pushes to Strip Local Control of High-Speed Networks” by  Olga Naidenko Ph.D., Senior Science Advisor for Children’s Environmental Health.

Article from Dr. Cindy Russell on Impacts of 5G Technology, January 2017

Santa Clara Bulletin, pg. 20-23, “A 5G Wireless Future: Will It Give Us a Smart Nation or Contribute to An Unhealthy One?” by Cindy Russell, January

 

Letter from the Sierra Club

Letter from Greenlining Insitute

Letter from the American Association of Retired Persons (AARP), July 19, 2017 “This bill undermines the authority of local government..”

Letter from the Alliance of Nurses for Health Environments

Law Office of Harry  Lehmann“Mass casualties are likely in District 10 from passage of 648, July 6, 2017

Law Office Of Harry Lehmann, Second Letter To The State Of California Liability for Damage From Microwave Radiation Exposure Sustained by Senate Bill 649 Will Be Shifted to California State , July 19, 2017

Law Office of Harry Lehmann  letter dated August 24, 2017,  SB 649 will  disproportionately effect the poor in California. 

Letter From EMF Safety Network and Ecological Options Network

August 14, 2017 Letter by Susan Foster Assembly Appropriations Letter – Fire Station Exemption from SB 649

Radiation Research Trust  Letter of Opposition

Letter from the Marin California Council of Mayors and Council Members Opposing SB 649

Scientists For Wired Technology, 5/30/17: front and back Scientists For Wired Technology 5/31/17:front and back

Letters from the City of Palos Verdes Estates April 12, 2017July 20, 2017

American Planning Association Opposes SB 649 

Berkeley City Council Opposition Letter 

Scientist Letters

Letter from Dr. Lennart Hardell To Governor Jerry Brown on SB649

Letter from Dr. Joel Moskowitz To Governor Jerry Brown on SB649

Beatrice Alexandra Golomb, MD, PhD Lettter in Opposition to SB649

Letter from Dr. Martin Pall in Opposition to SB649

Attachment to Dr. Pall Letter – 142 Microwave Radiation Review Studies

Letter from Dr. Cindy Russell in opposition to SB649 

Letter from Physicians For Safe Technology in opposition to SB649

Letter from Dr. Devra Davis to Chair Aguiar-Curry on SB 649

Letter from Dr. Devra Davis to Governor Jerry Brown on SB649 

Letter from Dr. Paul Ben Ishai in Opposition to SB 649
Letter from Frank Clegg, former President of Microsoft, Canada

Letter from Dr. Sam Milhelm 

Letter from Dr.  John West

Letter From Susan Foster To Governor Brown About Firefighters

FCC Comments by Susan Foster About Firefighters

8/20 National Institute for Science, Law & Public Policy Letter to Appropriations Committee

8/21 National Institute for Science, Law & Public Policy Letter to Assembly

8/24 National Institute for Science, Law & Public Policy Letter to Governor Brown.

See PSA’s below created by organizations calling for a veto to SB 649

2017

s.