2021 TSTCI Legislative Conference

Dear TSTCI Members:

We face these critical issues while our state is in a budget crisis. Many businesses – small local businesses -- are in peril and some have not been able to withstand the strain of the pandemic and its impacts.  We have witnessed an educational sink hole for many, and the telecommunications regulatory body in Texas is operating outside reasonable and responsible realm.

TSTCI is a strong and vibrant Association and the issues facing our industry and particularly the small, rural companies this session must be brought to the forefront and addressed. Our members, ILECs and Associate Members, have struggled this past year under extraordinary circumstances.  The pressures of the pandemic have highlighted the focus on good, stable, available, affordable telecommunications services – including broadband.  The pressures on social distancing and virtual communication have further highlighted those areas that have and offer advanced type services -- and those that do not, will not or have not offered these advanced type services. This will be a key component of this session.

So while our methods and our means this year of communicating and interacting with the legislative process and legislators will be “different,” --different is never a bad thing in the right hands. 

We will have our work cut out for us.  While there was no change in the control of either chamber, the make-up of each chamber will be a little different.  We will be welcoming and working with 20 new legislators and as many or more new staff.  The House will be under new leadership.  There is not a part of this system that is not “moving” at this point.  The playbooks of the past will not work this session. 

Your presence – your virtual presence -- at this conference and reception on February 16^th will help us and you just as much as your physical presence has done in the past.

As you may remember, the TSTCI Legislative Conference of 2017 was laser-focused on the USF issue. Our accomplishments in that very successful legislative venue were due in large part to the participation and efforts of our legislative team and our membership. This year, will undoubtedly be another laser-focused session with USF in the red dot.

You’ve already received the flier about the TSTCI Legislative Reception!  Please help us make this unusual and, yes, strange event a success.  Don’t wait to register and sponsor. Because of the modified schedule, agenda and the addition of coordination to make this “virtual” gathering a “reality,” please register at your earliest convenience.

There are no hotel reservations to make, no travel arrangements to be worrying about, no clothes to the cleaners, and no fretting about where to go to dinner and with whom –

Simply click the link to be taken to the Registration and Sponsorship page and fill out the necessary information.  Once your registration is confirmed, information will be sent to you for the Zoom Link for the general sessions and we will personally contact you to work out the scheduling of individual zoom meetings with your legislators. 

Then all you’ll need to do is lookout for your “reception goodie box.”  Goodie boxes will only be sent to those registering on or before the early registration cut-off date of February 2, 2021!  Those registering after that date will be sent the zoom link; however, there is no guarantee that goodie box will be delivered.

Any questions or for more information, please call Weldon at 903-658-0055.

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