Gov. Jim Doyle signed Assembly Bill 207 over Winter Break, but vetoed some portions that infringed on greater consumer protections.
Assembly Bill 207, the Video Competition Act, will update many state telecommunications laws and let companies apply for video franchises on a statewide basis. Previously, companies had to apply to local governments for the right to do business at the local level.
Some vetoes included portions of the bill that awarded permanent franchises, along with forcing companies to pay local governments for building on public land.
People can '¦ be assured that Wisconsin's strong consumer protection laws will continue to cover them when it comes to issues like billing errors and service interruptions,"" Doyle said in a statement.
Assembly Bill 207 opponent state Sen. Mark Miller, D-Monona, said in a release that Doyle vetoed the ""worst parts of the bill,"" and he was still concerned about how public access channels might be affected by the bill.
- The Milwaukee-Journal Sentinel contributed to this report.
