A state Senate committee gave its approval to a bill streamlining the process to approve mergers between phone companies. If approved by the state Assembly, the bill eliminates a requirement that the Public Utilities Commission look at certain impacts of mergers. The bill is sponsored by San Fernando Valley Sen. Alex Padilla. Critics, however, argue that the legislation makes it harder for the commission to evaluate adequately phone-company requests for mergers, the Los Angeles Times reported. “The [commission] should be able to consider all the critical aspects of such a merger or acquisition,” Commission President Michael R. Peevey and member Dian M. Grueneich said in a letter to the Senate Energy, Utilities and Communications Committee, according to the Times.
