NASHVILLE — The House gave final approval to legislation pushed by an AT&T-led coalition that eliminates Tennessee’s Lifeline program that provides a $3.50 monthly credit to 93,000 low-income Tennessee households on their landline telephone bill.
Members voted 91-1 for the bill, which previously passed the Senate and now goes to Gov. Bill Haslam for his consideration.
The bill, which makes changes to other laws affecting telephone companies as well, will have no impact on an identically named federal program, which covers both landline and cellphones.
House Majority Leader Gerald McCormick, R-Chattanooga, the bill’s sponsor, said the state’s portion of the landline program is no longer needed.
asher@timesfreepress.com
Andy Sher is a Nashville-based staff writer covering Tennessee state government and politics for the Times Free Press. A Washington correspondent from 1999-2005 for the Times Free Press, Andy previously headed up state Capitol coverage for The Chattanooga Times, worked as a state Capitol reporter for The Nashville Banner and was a contributor to The Tennessee Journal, among other publications. Andy worked for 17 years at The Chattanooga Times covering police, health care, county government, ...
