GEN: E-RATE POTENTIAL DEBACLE

[Carol Simpson <csimpson@TENET.EDU>]

LEGISLATIVE ALERT
by Leslie Harris, CoSN Legislative Consultant

While we have been unable to confirm the details, we have been told by
key
Senate Commerce Committee staffers that Sen. Hollings(D.SC) and Sen.
Stevens
(R.AK)  intend to introduce legislation that would cut back e-rate
funding for this year to the $625 million already collected from the
companies.
In addition, the bill may exclude inside wiring from the eligible
services.
While it is not a surprise that Sen. Stevens--- who has been a vocal
critic of
the program -- may introduce such legislation, the participation of Sen.
Hollings is difficult to understand.and very troubling. He is the
highest
ranking Democrat on the Senate Commerce Committee and supported the
e-rate in
the past. We understand that he is in a difficult reelection battle and
opponents have deemed his prior support for erate as support for a
"secret
tax" that will raise phone bills. That he would respond to those attacks
by
trying to cut the program seems incredible. It is  critical that Senator
Hollings office hear immediately from the school and library community
---particularly those in South Carolina ----that a cut in the funding or
the
scope of the e-rate program would be devasting to the state' school
children.
Almost 20,000 applications have already been received by the School and
LIbrary Corporation and many more will come in the next month.

URGENT ACTION:  Please contact Sen. Hollings Commerce Committee Office
at
202-224-0411. and express your support for the e-rate and your
opposition
to any legislation that will cut it back. Please repost this alert to
any
lists that you  believe will be responsive, particularly in South
Carolina.
Please write to your own Congressional delegation reaffirming your
support
for the program and
explaining its potential value for the children in your district.  If
you
haven't made a call or written a letter before, now is the time to do
it.
Congress does pay attention to a groundswell of calls and letters.

Thank You.

Leslie Harris


Posted on Behalf of the International Society for Technology in
Education and
the Consortium for School Networking.

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