State Rep. Deanne Mazzochi (R-Westmont) is happy to see the sunset approaching on 5G wireless legislation marked as Senate Bill 1451.
The bill, also called the Small Cell Wireless Bill, introduced installing new 5G cellular data cites across the state. Several communities in Mazzochi's district acted as pilot locations for the installation. With her constituents largely unhappy with the results, the legislator is fighting to see the bill go away when it sunsets this year.
"When SB 1451 was enacted, one of the biggest objections was the evisceration of local control," Mazzochi said on the House floor on May 7.
Hundreds of residents across Western Springs and Hinsdale, both in Mazzochi's district, were unhappy with the results of the 5G rollout. Despite being told that 5G could mostly be installed on existing cellular polls, local communities have been swamped with permit applications for new towers squarely in front of houses, neighborhood street corners and playgrounds.
"The Small Cell Wireless Bill is set to sunset this year, and the sunset provisions are there so that we can learn and correct mistakes," Mazzochi said. "One of those mistakes we should correct is that this bill is not one that should be reauthorized at all."
With these small villages led on about the reality that the bill would bring and wireless companies descending upon neighborhoods to sprout 5G sites everywhere despite homeowner objections, Mazzochi said her voters were told that the bill was acting in place of local ordinances but actually cloaked a "comprehensive federal regulatory scheme."
"In the states that avoided passing small cell wireless statues, local control has managed to work just fine under those federal regulations, and they are getting 5G technology investments," Mazzochi said.
When SB 1451 was signed in 2018, former Gov. Bruce Rauner supported the bill, calling it "a strong, competitive message that Illinois is open for business." Rauner said the bill would make the state a leader in wireless technology, boost jobs and set Illinois up for long-term success.
"One of the key pieces of local control we took away from our municipalities was to tell our units of local government that they could not stop new poles going up all over the place," Mazzochi said. "If we didn’t have the Small Cell Wireless Act, a municipality could keep control over their parkways. They could ask telecom providers to co-locate or provide proof that there was a gap in coverage if you wanted to put up a new pole."
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