Enlarge / Spools of fiber conduits for broadband network construction. (credit: Getty Images | Akchamczuk)

Colorado yesterday eliminated an 18-year-old state law that made it harder for cities and towns to offer broadband Internet service. The 2005 law required local governments to hold an election before offering cable television or telecommunications service, a process that pitted city and town leaders against well-funded broadband industry lobbying campaigns.

Gov. Jared Polis, a Democrat, signed a bill to eliminate that law yesterday. The bill had been approved by the State House in a 48-14 vote and in the Senate by a 31-4 vote. Both chambers have Democratic majorities, but the votes didn’t go entirely along party lines; all of the “no” votes came from Republicans, but other Republicans joined Democrats in approving the bill.

The bill signed by Polis “gives local governments the authority to provide broadband service, either on their own or by partnering with industry service providers, without holding a local election,” the Governor’s Office of Information Technology said.