Apple is investing over $430 billion and adding 20,000 U.S. jobs over the next five years, said the company Monday. That includes “billions” of dollars for silicon development and 5G innovation in nine states, plus data center investments, capital expenditures and spending with American suppliers. The company’s Apple TV+ productions in 20 states create “thousands” of jobs, it said. It’s investing over $1 billion in North Carolina, including a new campus and engineering hub in the Research Triangle area, which is expected to create 3,000 jobs in machine learning, AI and software engineering. The company will contribute over $110 million in infrastructure spending to 80 North Carolina counties for broadband, roads, bridges and public schools. Apple is on track to meet its 2018 goal of creating 20,000 new jobs in the U.S. by 2023; its next target is to create 20,000 jobs in California, Colorado, Iowa, Massachusetts, Texas and Washington.

Gov. Janet Mills seeks to establish a Maine Connectivity Authority to pursue universal broadband. The Democrat announced the bipartisan bill (LD-1484) Monday. The authority could use federal broadband funding, own physical broadband infrastructure like poles and wires, hold equity in broadband projects, provide grants and loans, and partner with industry and communities, said Mills. The legislature’s Technology Committee plans to hear testimony on LD-1484 and other broadband bills Tuesday at 9 a.m.

Mayors and counties urged the Supreme Court to grant local governments’ cert petition to stop federal preemption on small cells. "Local governments are being prevented from serving as stewards of public property, safety, and welfare,” wrote the National Association of Counties, U.S. Conference of Mayors and Government Finance Officers Association in a Monday amicus brief in case 20-1354. Likening towns to David and the telecom industry to Goliath, they said, "David is about to lose by a technical knockout, unless this Court steps in to ensure a fair contest." The International Municipal Lawyers Association supported granting review to ensure the appeals court's "erroneous approach to takings does not authorize agencies across the federal government to intrude on the rights of state and local governments." Friday, the high court extended respondents’ filing deadline until May 26, granting the agency’s request (see 2104220060). Portland, Oregon, and 35 other municipalities are asking SCOTUS to hear the appeal of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals' upholding much of 2018 FCC small-cell orders.

Don’t adopt state USF connections-based contribution, the Voice on the Net Coalition replied Friday in California Public Utilities Commission docket R.21-03-002. “Though imperfect, the revenue-based model is consistent with the current federal structure, complies with existing California law and, unlike the per-line model, will not cause disruptions to any group of ratepayers or changes to the accounting and billing systems of contributing service providers.” Big wireless carrier comments warned against the change, while some wireline companies and consumer advocates supported connections (see 2104060029).

The Illinois House voted 91-17 to extend the state small-cells law expiring June 1. The chamber adopted an amendment Friday to HB-2379 so the law instead would expire Dec. 31, 2023. It was Dec. 31, 2026, in the original bill. The measure now goes to the Senate.

Connecticut mustn’t continue to delay implementing one-touch, make-ready (OTMR), the state Office of Consumer Counsel said Friday. OCC filed an exception to an April 5 Public Utilities Regulatory Authority (PURA) proposed decision in docket 19-01-52 to allow pole-attachment applicants to pursue self-help during the engineering phase (see 2104060001). PURA said it will take up OTMR and other issues in the proceeding’s next phase, but OCC said it should narrow it to only OTMR and decide no later than Oct. 1. "Each day that passes without completing the make-ready review and establishing a process that implements one touch make ready is another day that some households and business in Connecticut will not have access to adequate fixed broadband service,” OCC wrote: Further delays “cause uncertainty and potential disruption to meeting commencement and completion deadlines for funding under various federal programs that are being implemented and will be available for application over the next few months.” PURA set virtual oral argument for Thursday at 1 p.m. EDT and tentatively plans to vote at its May 19 meeting.

Alaska’s administration knows its comprehensive privacy bill needs “substantial additional work to find that right balance” between protecting consumers and not burdening small and medium-size businesses, said Alaska Deputy Attorney General Cori Mills at a hearing livestreamed Friday. Gov. Mike Dunleavy (R) proposed the bill. House Commerce Committee co-Chair Zack Fields (D) said he hoped for enforcement changes “to make sure it has some teeth,” noting HB-159 doesn’t include a broad private right of action, and another option is to set up and fund a specialized enforcement agency. Assistant Attorney General John Haley read through the text section by section, occasionally stopping to take questions, and didn’t get all the way through before the panel moved on. Fields said the committee will pick up the reading again at its next hearing, scheduled for Monday at 7:15 p.m. EDT. A Washington state House vote wasn’t expected to have occurred Friday on the Senate’s privacy bill (SB-5062), said a House Democrats spokesperson. That legislature ends session Sunday. There's disagreement over allowing private suits in Washington and Florida (see 2104220062).

The Louisiana House voted 98-0 Wednesday to pass a bill on leasing the 4.9 GHz band. HB-465 would transfer authority of the band to the state broadband office from the Governor's Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness. It would require the broadband office to develop a leasing policy and use a blind auction mechanism. An initial auction would take place by June 10, 2022.

Differences abound between the contract then-Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker (R) signed with Foxconn in November 2017 to build an LCD fab and bring 13,000 jobs (see 1711130023) and the curtailed deal that Walker’s successor, Gov. Tony Evers (D), renegotiated with Foxconn this week. Under the contract with Walker, Foxconn would have collected up to $2.85 billion in cash credits from Wisconsin if it brought the project full scale by 2022. The agreement with Evers caps Foxconn’s cash credits at $80 million, based on a projected workforce of 1,454 employees. The only constant between the two deals is the $53,875 average wage that Foxconn is obligated to pay to qualify for cash credits.

A privacy bill with a private right of action passed the Florida House 118-1 Wednesday. The Senate has SB-1734 without a private right. Rep. Ben Diamond (D) said on the floor Wednesday that he voted for HB-969 despite his concerns about allowing private lawsuits, because he understands the two chambers and governor’s office are in talks about the right approach. Diamond was confident that attorney general enforcement is enough and worried about maintaining Florida’s “reputation” as a “business-friendly state.” Rep. Anna Eskamani (D) hoped negotiations don’t lead to a weaker bill. HB-969 sponsor Rep. Fiona McFarland (R) kept supporting including the private right (see 2104200066). “Please vote to make Florida a place where Big Tech ... does not control our data and does not control our government,” McFarland said. Consumer Reports praised the House for keeping a private right but noted that HB-969 lacks a provision from the Senate bill to require companies to honor opt-out browser signals. The House bill has "strong enforcement and a comprehensive opt out," said CR Senior Policy Analyst Maureen Mahoney. "But the bill should also make it easy for Floridians to opt out."