SF 2532

1st Engrossment - 86th Legislature (2009 - 2010) Posted on 02/25/2010 11:32am

A bill for an act
relating to telecommunications; reducing the plurality necessary in a local
election for a municipality to own and operate a telephone exchange; amending
Minnesota Statutes 2008, section 237.19.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

Section 1.

Minnesota Statutes 2008, section 237.19, is amended to read:

237.19 MUNICIPAL TELECOMMUNICATIONS SERVICES.

Any municipality shall have the right to own and operate a telephone exchange
within its own borders, subject to the provisions of this chapter. It may construct such
plant, or purchase an existing plant by agreement with the owner, or where it cannot agree
with the owner on price, it may acquire an existing plant by condemnation, as hereinafter
provided, but in no case shall a municipality construct or purchase such a plant or proceed
to acquire an existing plant by condemnation until such action by it is authorized by
a majority of the electors voting upon the proposition at a general election or a special
election called for that purpose, and if the proposal is to construct a new exchange where
an exchange already exists, it shall not be authorized to do so unless deleted text begin 65 percent deleted text end new text begin a majority new text end
of those voting thereon vote in favor of the undertaking. A municipality that owns and
operates a telephone exchange may enter into a joint venture as a partner or shareholder
with a telecommunications organization to provide telecommunications services within its
service area. new text begin For the purpose of this section a "municipality" includes a county.
new text end

new text begin EFFECTIVE DATE. new text end

new text begin This section is effective the day following final enactment.
new text end