With state regulators demanding that Charter sell Spectrum, Howie Hawkins, the Green candidate for New York governor, is calling for New York State itself to take over Spectrum for its own public broadband utility.

Hawkins discussed how a public broadband utility will lower costs, improve service, and protect net neutrality and privacy protections that federal regulators recently eliminated.

He also planned to discuss how cities like Syracuse, whose franchise with Spectrum expired 11 years ago in 2007, now have a good case in light of the Public Service Commission’s recent action against Spectrum for just cause to take over the Spectrum franchise municipally without waiting for a state takeover.