California lawmakers are considering a bill to cut the cord on landline telephone service at a hearing today before the Assembly Utilities and Commerce Committee.

Assembly Bill 2395 would permit AT&T to stop maintaining the copper-wire landline service in California in 2020, except in areas that have no alternative to cell phone or Voice Over Internet Protocol service.

Josh Hart, a consumer advocate who founded a group to fight smart meters in homes, said landlines are a crucial part of the state's infrastructure and are less vulnerable than cell phones.

"They depend on the electric grid, and when that goes down there's no cell service," he said. "So there needs to be robust, reliable high-quality landline service available as a choice for Californians."

AT&T said its cell and VOIP services are more advanced and cost less than landlines, and has estimated that only 15 percent of households in the state maintain a landline. Advocates say that still amounts to about 10 million Californians.

Blanca Castro, manager for advocacy at AARP California, said her organization opposes the replacement of publicly switched telephone networks because many people, especially seniors, can't use cell phones or aren't comfortable with the technology.

"People's landlines are their lifeline," she said, "because of disability, not being able to read the numbers on a cell phone and needing to have big keyboards on landlines."

Last summer, the Federal Communications Commission passed a rule allowing phone companies to phase out landlines but required them to give homeowners and businesses three months' and six months' notice, respectively.

The text of AB 2395 is online at leginfo.legislature.ca.gov.


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BOISE, Idaho - Millions of members around the world, including some Idahoans, are observing International Credit Union Day today.

This year marks 73 years of International Credit Union Day. These not-for-profit financial institutions stretch across 118 countries.

Jon Maroni is the marketing director with Canopy Credit Union in the Northwest.

"International Credit Union Day, in general, is just really a day to celebrate our movement and the impact that credit unions have had," said Maroni. "Both for their members and then also, the communities that they serve."

More than 1.1 million Idahoans are credit union members. There are more than 120 million members nationwide.

To celebrate, credit union employees across the Northwest are volunteering for community and service projects.

Maroni said he sees credit unions as being especially beneficial in the early days of the pandemic, when the economy was in flux and many people weren't able to work.

"A lot of credit unions were offering things like, 'Hey, connect with us if you're needing to skip a couple of loan payments, or if you're needing to just work out an arrangement for payments on loans, or if your account's negative,' things like that," said Maroni. "Just really embracing the fact that our members own our credit unions."

International Credit Union Day is also when the institutions set their agendas for the coming years. The World Council of Credit Unions aims to digitize its organizations around the world in the next four years with its Challenge 2025 goal.

ALBANY, N.Y. -- AARP is among the groups urging Congress to pass a proposal to allow Medicare to negotiate lower prescription costs with drug companies, as part of the Build Back Better Act.

The average annual cost of prescription drugs increased 55% faster than the average income of New York residents between 2015 and 2019, according to AARP.

Americans pay on average three times as much for brand-name drugs compared to other countries.

Joe Stelling, associate director for advocacy at AARP New York, said it is time for change.

"There's no reason why Americans should pay the highest prescription drug prices in the world," Stelling asserted. "It's just wrong that many seniors are forced to choose between filling their prescriptions and paying rent, or buying groceries."

The Veterans Administration already negotiates prices with pharmaceutical companies. According to the Congressional Budget Office, the VA pays about half as much for brand-name drugs compared to the Medicare prescription drug benefit.

Stelling estimates people with Medicare 'Part D' plans could collectively save $117 billion over 10 years with price negotiations.

Bill Ferris, legislative representative for AARP New York, said many of his group's members age 65 or older are on Social Security and have limited incomes. He pointed out the issue with high drug prices isn't new, and can have serious health impacts.

"One of the worst things that happens is when someone can't afford their prescription drug, and they delay filling their prescription, or they don't take their prescription," Ferris observed.

Ferris added the group is working to partner with the Medicare Savings Program, which might allow lower deductibles and cover more prescriptions.

According to an AARP "Price Watch" report, the average older American takes four prescription drugs, often the result of a chronic health condition.

CARSON CITY, Nev. -- Twenty state Attorneys General, including Aaron Ford from Nevada, are slamming proposed new federal banking guidelines for not addressing what are known as "rent-a-bank" schemes.

The state leaders asked federal regulators for a crackdown on non-bank lenders that partner with real banks to make loans sold to the non-bank partner.

By using the bank's name on paperwork, the non-bank can claim the loan should not be subject to state regulations, including interest-rate caps.

Rebecca Borné, senior policy council at the Center for Responsible Lending, said the federal guidance should explicitly condemn rent-a-bank arrangements.

"Because the guidance is essentially silent on it, it definitely raises the question of, is it going to be read as permission for more banks to engage in these rent-a-bank schemes?" Borné pointed out.

Also Tuesday, a coalition of consumer and civil rights groups sent a letter to federal regulators calling for a crackdown on rent-a-bank partnerships.

In June, President Joe Biden eliminated a Trump-era "true lender" rule, saying it favored predatory lenders over consumers.

A report from the National Consumer Law Center said in Nevada, a company called Elevate offers loans under the "Rise" brand, with interest rates of 149%, in connection with FinWise Bank or Capital Community Bank. Elevate also offers "Elastic"-branded loans up to 109% effective APR, through Republic Bank and Trust.

Nevada passed a bill in 2019 limiting predatory lending practices and capping interest rates to about 40% for installment loans.

Borné noted loans with high rates can lead to an unending cycle of debt.

"These loans are designed to be unaffordable," Borné asserted. "Lenders succeed by causing borrowers to fail. Customers pay on these loans for years, often without reducing the principal."

The National Consumer Law Center also warned of a company known as Axcess Financial, working under the name "Check 'n Go." It offers loans with the brand-name "Xact," up to 199% APR, through an agreement with Capital Community Bank.