House bill to put elected PSC members over staff

The Clarion-Ledger, 1/23/9

Mississippi consumers will be better served by a reorganization of the state agency in charge of utility issues, according to supporters of legislation that cleared the House on Thursday.

But opponents said revamping the Public Utilities Staff is unnecessary and will rob the agency of its ability to independently evaluate issues such as rate increases.

House Bill 1090 may be debated again in the House before it heads to the Senate.

The measure puts the staff under the supervision of the three-member elected Public Service Commission, which has the final say on utility decisions.

The staff currently is separate from the commission, a setup that some say creates bureaucratic red tape and makes regulating companies more difficult.