Telecommunications bill draws widespread reproach; bill tilted toward incumbent providers, critics say.

A US West and GTE proposal to overhaul the state's telecommunications law was trashed this week by regulators, competitors and consumer groups.

After critics ganged up against the bill for being anti-competitive and anti-consumer, state Rep. Jim Hill, R-Hillsboro, ordered the warring parties to meet informally to craft a compromise.

"I'm not wedded to one piece of language in that bill," said Hill, chair of the House Subcommittee on Telecommunications and Trade. "I am hopeful that we can come to some consensus."

Earlier, Hill had decreed that the US West/GTE proposal, House Bill 3021, will be the framework for a new telecommunications competition law for Oregon. Now it appears the bill could be totally re-worked. …