Estimated read time: Less than a minute
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — Gov. Nikki Haley is among 10 Republican governors urging the head of the Federal Communications Commission to give states more autonomy in fighting the issue of cellphone that inmates have illegally in prison.
Haley on Monday wrote to FCC Chairman Thomas Wheeler encouraging him to give states "flexibility and authority" to deal with the issue, universally seen as a security threat.
States need FCC permission to block cell signals, and Haley has been vocal in her opposition to required FCC approval. Testifying last month at an FCC field hearing in Columbia, Haley said the state had tried multiple other methods, but none are as effective as blocking.
The letter was also signed by governors from Alabama, Georgia, Indiana, Maine, Mississippi, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota and Utah.
___
Kinnard can be reached at http://twitter.com/MegKinnardAP. Read more of her work at http://bigstory.ap.org/content/meg-kinnard/
Copyright © The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.