New Jersey’s phone and cable deregulation bill stalls en route to Christie

A bill that would deregulate telephone and cable service in New Jersey has slow in its path to Gov. Chris Christie’s desk after consumer groups argued the bill would eliminate some consumer protections.

AARP and the Communications Workers of America organized an event last month that had state senators’ phones ringing off the hook encouraging opposition to the bill. Senate Pres. Stephen Sweeney pulled the bill at the last minute, NJ.com reports.

The bill eliminates the oversight of the Board of Public Utilities, as well as compensation for long service failures and protection against local and long-distance carrier switches without consumer consent.

The bill could come up again this month.