State and local support for prison phone rate reform remains...

State and local support for prison phone rate reform remains strong, Public Knowledge and other public interest groups told aides to Chairman Julius Genachowski and Commissioner Mignon Clyburn Monday, an ex parte filing said (http://bit.ly/Zxr2fZ). Continued FCC leadership has “the salutary effect of mobilizing supports at all levels of government,” the groups said, urging the commission to move quickly to “alleviate the unjust” carrier practices. The commission has authority under sections 201 and 202 of the Communications Act to prohibit carriers from paying commissions to prison officials, the groups said. “Such a prohibition no more treads on federalism or intrastate communications than the prohibition on exclusive contracts with landlords trammels on the rights of landlords, or the newspaper broadcast cross-ownership rule treads on the rights of newspapers."