Lawmakers want to undo PSC corruption reform
Two measures before the Legislature would undo some of the reform passed in reaction to corruption in the state's regulation of utilities in the 1980s.
Proponents say the bills would allow the Public Service Commission to operate more efficiently and in a manner similar to those in most other states. Opponents say it's a move to allow big utility interests to co-opt state regulations, and say it's likely reaction to the PSC's hard-nosed handling of the $7.5-billion Kemper power plant boondoggle.
The Public Service Commission regulates water, sewer, natural gas, telecommunications and electric utilities, and is charged with ensuring rates are reasonable and service is adequate and safe.
In 1989, state public service commissioners D.W. Snyder and Lynn Havens were convicted on federal charges of extorting money from utilities they regulated. In response, the Legislature passed reforms that included creating an independent Public Utilities Staff to conduct investigations and collect information, attempting to separate it from elective politics. The three-member, elected Public Service Commission serves as a rule-making and quasi-judicial body. Mississippi is one of only four states with this setup.
Read more: https://www.clarionledger.com/story/news/politics/2018/01/25/lawmakers-want-un-do-corruption-reform-psc/1065043001/
