ALAWON: American Library Association Washington Office Newsline
Volume 8, Number 3
January 8, 1999

In this issue:

SBC Withdraws From Key Portion of Lawsuit Challenging E-rate 

On December 21, SBC Communications Inc., owner of Southwestern 
Bell and Pacific Telesis, filed a motion to withdraw from a key 
portion of a critical lawsuit challenging the schools and 
libraries E-rate discount program. SBC's service area includes 
Arkansas, Kansas, Missouri, Oklahoma, Texas, California and 
Nevada, as well as some smaller areas in the Northeast.

"We are encouraged to see another litigant withdrawing from part 
of this court challenge." said Carol C. Henderson, executive 
director of the ALA Washington Office.  "We hope that this signals 
SBC's recognition of the importance of the E-rate to libraries and 
communities which support information equity.  We look forward to 
developing a positive working relationship with SBC, and hope that 
all other legal and political challenges can be resolved."

SBC's withdrawal from part of the lawsuit comes on the heels of 
BellSouth's withdrawal from the same lawsuit (see the December 11 
ALAWON, v7, n153, at   
http://www.ala.org/washoff/alawon/alwn7153.html). GTE and others 
still remain in the lawsuit challenging the E-rate program, part 
of the Federal Communications Commission's Order on Universal 
Service.  

Legal advisors to EdLiNC, the Education and Library Network 
Coalition, of which ALA is a member, are reviewing this latest 
motion.  The case, which continues to be a major threat to the E-
rate program, is currently before the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals 
in New Orleans. There is no deadline for a decision in the case, 
although some observers predict there could be a decision in late 
spring 1999.  

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ALA Washington Office, 1301 Pennsylvania Ave., N.W., Suite 403, 
Washington, D.C. 20004-1701; phone: 202.628.8410 or 800.941.8478 
toll-free; fax: 202.628.8419; e-mail: alawash@alawash.org; Web 
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Managing Editor: Deirdre Herman; Contributors: Phyllis Albritton, 
Mary Costabile, Adam Eisgrau, Carol Henderson, Peter Kaplan, 
Claudette Tennant and Rick Weingarten.