Rep. Sheldon Johnson has sponsored a bill (HF2852) that would make it easier for telephone companies to offer “triple-play” services — voice, video and Internet — by letting cities grant cable franchises to companies that already provide phone services. Here is the proposed language; c is the new part…

1.7 Subdivision 1. Requirement; conditions. (a) A municipality shall require a
1.8franchise or extension permit of any cable communications system providing service
1.9within the municipality.
1.10(b) No municipality shall grant an additional franchise for cable service for an
1.11area included in an existing franchise on terms and conditions more favorable or less
1.12burdensome than those in the existing franchise pertaining to: (1) the area served; (2)
1.13public, educational, or governmental access requirements; or (3) franchise fees. The
1.14provisions of this paragraph shall not apply when the area in which the additional franchise
1.15is being sought is not actually being served by any existing cable communications system
1.16holding a franchise for the area. Nothing in this paragraph prevents a municipality from
1.17imposing additional terms and conditions on any additional franchises.
1.18(c) An area for an additional cable franchise is not more favorable or less
1.19burdensome if the franchisee is a telephone company, as defined in section 237.01,
1.20subdivision 7, and the area of the franchise is no less than the area within the municipality
1.21in which the telephone company offers local exchange telephone service. This paragraph
1.22is in addition to and not a limit to the authority of a municipality to grant an additional
1.23franchise for cable service.

According to the Session Daily, the bill has been approved by the House Telecommunications Regulation and Infrastructure Division and now goes to the House Commerce and Labor Committee. A companion, SF2535, sponsored by Sen. Scott Dibble (DFL-Mpls), awaits action by the full Senate.