Don't get state Sen. John Carona, D-Dallas, started on AT&T and its powerful lobbyists.

He lashed out at the corporation from the Senate floor for "thwarting" his effort to pass a bill to better keep track of prepaid cell phones aka "burners". The disposable, pay-as-you-go cell phones can be used temporarily by criminals and/or drug dealers (as we saw on HBO's The Wire) and then get tossed so that the phone user can avoid law enforcement and/or wiretaps.

John Carona

Carona has tried and failed to pass this legislation several times and this year, his bill hasn't even gotten a hearing in committee. So he tried to attach it as an amendment to another bill before ultimately pulling it down.

The senator went down swinging, blaming AT&T and other lobbyists for keeping his bill from getting a hearing.

"The fact that the lobby is so powerful in this capitol today that they can stymie your legislation, or mind, is offensive," he said. "I don't think this is the way to make public policy. A better way to handle this would have been a public hearing.

"I'm standing up here to say shame on AT&T. That is a big corporate giant in this state that has a responsibility to do what it is right, not just for itself or its bottom line, but it has an obligation to do what's right for citizens of this state.

"It will sadden people to know that AT&T can be down here with its 100 or more lobbyists and thwart good legislation that can save lives of its citizens and police officers. I hope you'll stand up, too, to say we're going to stop to some of the foolishness around here."

Last session, state Rep. John Smithee slammed Sprint, saying "I'm hoping that I go to heaven and Sprint goes to hell so that they can't get me." This session, it appears AT&T is the new devil.

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