California Gov Schwarzenegger signs bills preserving rural phone service

California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger (R) has signed into a law a pair of bills by State Senator Patricia Wiggins (D - Santa Rosa) designed to maintain phone services to residents of rural and high-cost areas of California. On bill allows for the continued funding of a program paid for by all customers of home and cellular telephone services to protect rural and underserved areas of the state from outrageous phone bills, while the other continues funding for a grant program that provides residential telephone services and cellular coverage to people who are considered to be low-income and/or live in rural areas where no telephone services are currently offered.