Brown vetoes bill banning cellphone disruption

SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- Gov. Jerry Brown has vetoed a bill that would have banned agencies from disrupting cellphone service without a court order.

The legislation targeted the Bay Area Rapid Transit system, which sparked a global free speech debate last year when it cut wireless service in San Francisco subway stations to disrupt a planned protest.

In his veto statement Saturday, Brown said that the bill could "divert attention" away from a true emergency by requiring that government agencies apply for a court order within six hours of a service shutdown.

The democratic governor encouraged the bill's author, Democratic Sen. Alex Padilla of Los Angeles, to bring amended version of the legislation forward next year.

Both houses of the Legislature passed SB1160 unanimously, and BART also supported the measure.

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jerry brown, BART, cellphone, smartphones, politics

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