April 18, 2026 · Urgent Action Required
Congress votes THIS WEEK to eliminate all local wireless authority
H.R. 2289 would override your city, county, and school board — and could undo local ordinances like ours. Call now.
What H.R. 2289 does:
Forces approval of antennas on virtually any structure — poles, apartment buildings, schools. Local governments "may not deny and shall approve."
No proof required for new towers — a carrier's claim alone overrides local zoning.
Auto-approval if any deadline is missed. No pauses allowed.
Exempts towers from health and environmental review, locking in FCC exposure limits unchanged since 1996 — limits a federal court already found unjustified.
What to say when you call:
"I am calling to demand you oppose H.R. 2289, the American Broadband Deployment Act. This bill eliminates local authority over wireless facility placement, exempts cell towers from health review, and auto-approves applications when deadlines are missed. It does not belong on any floor, in any spending package, or attached to any bill. Vote no. Strip it out. I am watching."
Nevada County Call Your Representatives Now:
Sen. Alex Padilla
Sen. Adam Schiff
Rep. Kevin Kiley
Outside of Nevada County: Find your rep: house.gov · Find your senators: senate.gov · Capitol switchboard (202) 224-3121
Those of us who fought at the local level know exactly what it feels like when authority goes unused and the tools that exist to protect a community are tossed aside by decision-makers who look the other way.
Congress is about to make sure no community ever has those tools again.
If H.R. 2289 passes, the debate we had at the county level becomes permanently moot, not just here, but everywhere.
We learned the hard way that local authority is only as strong as the willingness to use it. Don't let the Feds take it away before the rest of the country even gets the chance to try.
For an Update on the Nevada County Ordinance Passed on 4/14/26, what it means for your and what you can do, see NEW BLOG
