Update: Gov. Perdue refused to veto the bill, ignoring the voices of her constituents and thousands of others from across the nation who had urged her to stand up for real broadband competition and choice.

North Carolina Governor Bev Perdue has until midnight to save community broadband in her state, and send a resounding message to the nation that telecom companies don’t dictate politics.

The governor can do this by vetoing a bill -- the so-called Level Playing Field/Local Government Competition Bill (H129) – that would stop local communities from building their own high-speed Internet networks. The bill has been blatantly sponsored by Time Warner Cable; the company wants to stifle any competition, even as it refuses to deploy broadband to dozens of communities in the state.

The bill is absurd, and a huge giveaway to industry.

Thousands of people have called and written Gov. Perdue all week urging her to veto the bill. You can contact her, too. Phone number: 919-733-2391.

If signed into law, this bill would have repercussions far beyond North Carolina. The phone and cable companies are waiting to see the outcome of this bill before they introduce similar measures in statehouses across the country. North Carolina and the nation are waiting on Gov. Perdue’s response.