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Committee rejects bill letting Public Service Commission pause parts of later rate cases during lawsuits
Summary
A legislative committee declined to give the Public Service Commission statutory authority to stay portions of subsequent general rate cases while earlier rate-case rulings are under judicial review, voting 3-2 after testimony from the bill sponsor, the commission and utilities.
Representative Tony Locke introduced House Bill 218 to the Corporations, Elections & Political Subdivisions Committee, saying the intent was narrow: to give the Public Service Commission an explicit statutory tool to stay portions of a later general rate case when a prior rate-case decision is being litigated on legal or procedural grounds.
The bill’s sponsor summarized the change as granting the commission flexibility. "May stay each part of the subsequent general rate case related to the issues under judicial review until the resolution of the judicial review including any appeal," Representative Tony Locke told the committee, describing the bill’s principal text.
Supporters and opponents gave conflicting legal and practical assessments. Chris Petrie, deputy chairman of the Public Service Commission, said the agency supported the engrossed, discretionary language…
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