Basic Phone Service Bill Withdrawn

• {Frankfort, Kentucky}...Senator Paul Hornback, R-Shelbyville, withdrew a bill Thursday that would have taken another step in telephone deregulation. Hornback said the proposal had run into stiff opposition that he attributed to a misconception that people living in remote areas of the state could have been left without reliable telephone service. Telephone companies have been pressing lawmakers for legislation that would lift a requirement that they provide basic landline service in areas where other options, like cell phones, are available. Opponents claim the legislation would be especially harmful for the poor who can afford only the low-cost basic service.