Maine’s privacy bill died after lawmakers tried a second time to pass LD-1977 through the Senate on Wednesday. Earlier in the day, the House approved the bill, but the Senate narrowly defeated it (see 2404170069). Undaunted, the House insisted on acceptance, a procedural move that forces the other chamber to vote again. However, the Senate responded by insisting on rejecting the bill, leaving the bill to die in nonconcurrence. Privacy watchers said LD-1977 was notable for proposing strict data minimization standards (see 2403270045).

Virginia legislators rejected the governor’s proposed amendment to a children’s privacy bill. On Wednesday, the Senate voted 19-21 and the House voted 44-56 on the proposed changes to the cross-filed SB-361 and HB-707, respectively. Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R) had proposed adding language related to the federal Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (see 2404090014). Youngkin didn’t comment Thursday. However, state legislators in both chambers unanimously agreed to adopt Youngkin’s proposed amendments to a pole-attachments bill (SB-713 and HB-800). Youngkin last week said the legislation should allow the Virginia State Corporation Commission to extend the bill’s deadline to resolve pole disputes by up to 60 days (see 2404170065 and 2404090014).

Georgia Public Service Commission elections may go ahead this November, the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals said in a Wednesday order. The appeals court stayed a permanent injunction by a lower court that had stopped the 2022 Georgia PSC election. Previously, on Nov. 24, the 11th Circuit reversed the Northern District of Georgia's injunction that stopped Georgia’s secretary of state from administering PSC elections using the statewide, at-large method and from certifying any commission elected using that method. Meanwhile, the U.S. Supreme Court is considering whether to take up an appeal of the 11th Circuit decision (see 2404150025). The district court had blocked the statewide, at-large method because it said it constituted unlawful vote dilution under Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act.

Maine’s comprehensive data privacy bill came up short in the state Senate on Wednesday. The bill appeared to fail when senators voted 15-18 on a Judiciary Committee majority recommendation that LD-1977 by Rep. Margaret O’Neil (D) “ought to pass.” The House narrowly passed the bill a day earlier in a 75-70 vote. The bill isn't necessarily dead. When the chambers disagree, Maine's legislative process allows each body to insist on their vote. This forces the other side to vote again. A conference committee could also be requested. Both chambers agreed to kill an alternative bill (LD-1973) by Sen. Lisa Keim (R). The House supported a majority recommendation that the bill “ought not to pass” by a 81-63 vote Wednesday. The Senate voted 18-14 for that recommendation on Tuesday. Privacy watchers said LD-1977 is notable for proposing strict data minimization standards (see 2403270045).

Colorado broadband and social media bills passed their originating chambers Tuesday. The House voted 54-7 on Wednesday to pass HB-1336, which transfers authority for awarding grant money from the state’s high-cost support mechanism to the state broadband office from a broadband deployment board in the governor's IT office (see 2404120013). It will go to the Senate. Meanwhile, the Senate voted 30-1 to pass a kids’ social media bill (SB-158) that would require age verification (see 2404160019). Appropriators cleared the measure Tuesday (see 2404160019). It will go to the House.

The Virginia House agreed with governor-recommended changes on a pole-attachments bill (HB-800), voting in favor of the amended measure by a 100-0 margin Wednesday. Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R) last week said the legislation should allow the Virginia State Corporation Commission to extend the bill’s deadline to resolve pole disputes by up to 60 days (see 2404090014). The Senate has yet to vote on applying that change to its version (SB-713).

A Kansas 911 administration shakeup won approval from Gov. Laura Kelly (D) on Monday. She signed HB-2690 to replace the Kansas 911 Coordinating Council with a state 911 board, among other changes (see 2403060075). The governor signed another 911 bill Friday to end a five-year audit (see 2404150027). In Colorado, the Senate Appropriations Committee voted 5-4 on Tuesday to advance SB-139 to the full Senate. The bill would create a 911 services enterprise within the Department of Regulatory Agencies that could impose a user fee of up to 50 cents monthly per 911 access connection. Revenue from the new fee, which would be separate and in addition to an existing 911 surcharge imposed by the Colorado Public Utilities Commission, would fund 911 costs and expenses including statewide training, cybersecurity support, geographic information system programs, grants for public safety answering points and governing bodies and matching funds for 911 or emergency notification service grants.

A Tennessee bill restricting children on social media will go to Gov. Bill Lee (R). The state House concurred with Senate amendments to HB-1891 in a 90-2 vote Monday. Lee supports the bill, which would require parental consent for kids younger than 18 on social networks (see 2404090018). In Colorado, a social media bill will go on the Senate unanimous consent calendar, the chamber’s Appropriations Committee decided unanimously on Tuesday. The bill (SB-158) would require social media platforms to publish policies and update them within 14 days of any changes to the policies. Also, it would require companies to use reasonable age verification to give users the option of applying certain settings and parental tools for known juveniles under 18. In Wisconsin, bills on minors using social media (AB-373 and SB-385) failed Monday. So did two bills on social media censorship (AB-894 and AB-895). And Wisconsin legislators failed to pass a comprehensive privacy bill (AB-466 and SB-642). Privacy bills failed in previous sessions, too (see 2312190060).

Votes are again delayed on foster youth and AT&T items at the California Public Utilities Commission. Both were scheduled for Thursday’s meeting, but CPUC staff postponed them until the May 9 meeting, said a hold list Tuesday. The commission originally planned to vote on both items at its Feb. 15 meeting and has now held them multiple times (see 2403200013). The first item would make the CPUC’s pilot foster youth program permanent (docket R.20-02-008). The second would deny AT&T’s corrective action plan explaining how it will correct failures and improve service after failing to meet the state’s out-of-service repair interval standard in 2021 (resolution T-17789).

Frontier Communications must spend $20 million over four years to upgrade internet speeds and infrastructure in North Carolina under a settlement with Attorney General Josh Stein (D), the state DOJ said Tuesday. The carrier also will pay $300,000 in restitution for North Carolina customers affected by slower speeds. North Carolina and other states joined the FTC suing Frontier in 2021 over slow speeds. The federal court in that case dismissed the state’s claims against Frontier while allowing the FTC’s case to proceed (see 2110040066). However, North Carolina continued to negotiate with Frontier to reach a settlement, the AG office said. “We’ve been hearing concerns from Frontier customers for years now, and I’m hopeful that these investments will lead to better service,” said Stein. Frontier didn’t comment.