The U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear a case Monday, effectively...
The U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear a case Monday, effectively affirming a lower court ruling that a Texas law outlining how video franchises are issued, and intended to streamline the process, is unconstitutional. The Texas Cable Association filed a…
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federal lawsuit against Texas in 2005, alleging the law granted disparate treatment to video providers. The association’s challenges continued through the 5th U.S. Court of Appeals, which ruled the law was unconstitutional on Jan. 13, 2012 (http://xrl.us/bnb8zs). Texas appealed the 5th Circuit’s ruling to the Supreme Court. The high court declining to hear the case will guarantee “a more level playing field” for video operators in Texas, an association spokeswoman said. “More importantly, this critically important case law affirms cable companies’ First Amendment rights and will be cited in the future as legal precedent.” “We will honor the decisions,” said Terry Hadley, communications director for the Public Utility Commission of Texas, “and welcome the cable providers to file at the Commission for franchise authority, based on the decisions, and we'll deal with those."