Washington has stringent rules to prevent municipalities from reaping arbitrage profits by raising money at low tax-exempt rates and investing it at higher rates.

But that bill also carried an unexpected provision: a law that would have prevented municipalities from having any control over local factory farms and their manure disposal.

Mr. Gill was already dabbling in philanthropy when Colorado voters approved Amendment 2, which prevented municipalities and the state from passing statutes to protect homosexuals from discrimination.

He said the bill would prevent municipalities from losing control of their finances.

It effectively prevents municipalities from offering ISP services by placing multiple hurdles in their way.

Gov. George W. Bush of Texas has generally sided with the N.R.A., signing bills allowing people to carry concealed weapons and preventing municipalities from suing gun makers.

It prevents municipalities from re-zoning areas identified as "prime agricultural areas", "specialty crop areas" and "rural areas" identified by the province for other uses.

This could prevent other municipalities in that region from benefiting from the services of the private provider.

To prevent municipalities from simply borrowing at low tax-exempt rates and then earning a profit by lending the money in the open market, they were required to keep any excess funds in the special escrow accounts.

However, this concern has not prevented municipalities from approving projects that damage Long Island's groundwater.