SACRAMENTO – Today, Assemblywoman Megan Dahle (R-Bieber) made the following statement regarding her support for Senate Bill 156 (Budget), which outlines the framework for funding a statewide broadband network:
“This bill is the result of hard work and bipartisan collaboration, and as a member of the State Assembly’s Broadband Working Group, I had a chance to represent the voice of the rural North State on this critical issue. In the First Assembly District, there are more than 150,000 people that are unserved and have virtually no broadband access. This is roughly one-third of my district’s population.
“My constituents have felt the effects of no broadband connectivity for decades, but the pandemic only highlighted the severity of the issue. Lack of broadband access compounds every challenge we face as a region. Whether catastrophic wildfires, distance learning, or pandemic-induced business closures, no internet and cell service has made responding to these issues that much harder. It is far past time rural areas were prioritized for broadband, and I am thankful for the bipartisan partnership to work towards this goal.
“There is still much to be done. I am committed to doing what it takes to ensure equitable broadband access for the North State and SB 156 secures the funds. Now the real work begins of actually building out infrastructure.”
Assemblywoman Megan Dahle represents the 1st Assembly District in the California Legislature, which includes portions of Butte and Placer counties, along with Lassen, Modoc, Nevada, Plumas, Shasta, Sierra, and Siskiyou counties.