Resolution Regarding the Regulation of Intrastate Telecommunications Services in Healthy and Sustainable Competitive Environments Exposed

A Resolution Regarding the Regulation of Intrastate Telecommunications Services in Healthy and Sustainable Competitive Environments was adopted by ALEC's Telecommunications and Information Technology Task Force at the Annual Meeting on July 30, 2004, approved by the ALEC Board of Directors August, 2004. ALEC has attempted to distance itself from this piece of legislation after the launch of ALECexposed.org in 2011, but it has done nothing to get it repealed in the states where it previously pushed for it to be made into law.

ALEC Resolution Text

WHEREAS, it is the mission of the American Legislative Exchange Council to advance the Jeffersonian principles of free markets, limited government, federalism and individual liberty, and

WHEREAS, telecommunications services, a sector that is essential to the nation’s economy, commerce and technological growth, is being radically transformed by the development of new, competing and converging technologies and services, and

WHEREAS, the rise of varied competition among numerous competing technologies has brought increased consumer choice in many marketplaces, and

WHEREAS, ALEC believes that full and open competition, not multiple layers of regulation, should drive healthy and sustainable competitive marketplaces, and

WHEREAS, ALEC is an important, influential voice in the promotion of policies that are true to the Jeffersonian principles of free markets, limited government, federalism and individual liberty, now

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that ALEC shall voice its support of minimal, competitively neutral state and federal regulation of all telecommunications providers, including incumbent and competitive wireline carriers, wireless carriers and cable telephony providers, and further,

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that ALEC supports the current minimally regulated status of the Internet and Internet-based services, and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that ALEC urges state regulatory and legislative bodies to refocus their efforts on specific and limited efforts targeted at ensuring that essential basic telecommunications service remains universally available and affordable for consumers, phasing out historic subsidy systems, and urge state regulatory bodies to oversee the resolution of disputes that may arise when networks interconnect, and further,

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that ALEC’s support for balanced and minimal telecommunications regulations that more accurately reflect today’s competitive situation in a particular marketplace be communicated to all ALEC members, and further

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that ALEC shall convey its support to the members of United States Congress and Executive Branch.

Adopted by the Telecommunications & Information Technology Task Force at the Annual Meeting, July 30, 2004. Approved by the full ALEC Board of Directors August, 2004.