Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Municipal Utilities Representation topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Senator Whaley presses amendment to give representation for customers outside city limits on municipal utilities boards
Summary
Lawmakers debated House Bill 1563, which would add commissioners to municipal utility boards so customers living outside municipal boundaries can obtain representation; Senator Whaley proposed drawing districts by population or using a reverse repealer to continue work on language.
House Bill 1563, concerning municipal utilities' commission composition, drew extended discussion about whether people served outside city limits receive fair representation on utility boards.
Senator Whaley said the bill’s current language falls short of providing meaningful representation for those served outside municipal boundaries and proposed striking and redrawing language to require geographic districts and elections similar to electric cooperatives. "That is not representation. That is just putting someone there to say that they are there," Whaley said.
Committee members debated board sizes (three to seven members) and the potential for districts to be drawn so that in-city residents could dominate representation; some members favored using a reverse repealer and continuing work on the language before floor consideration. The committee ultimately proceeded with motions and reported the bill to allow further floor consideration and amendment.
