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Minutes for SB88 - Committee on Utilities
Short Title
Providing for the statewide election of commissioners of the state corporation commission, establishing the utilities regulation division in the office of the attorney general, requiring such division to represent and protect the collective interests of utility customers in utility rate-related proceedings and exempting the state corporation commission from the open meetings act.
Minutes Content for Wed, Feb 15, 2023
The Chairman resumed the hearing on SB88 and called for opponent testimony.
Ed Cross implored the committee to bring all parties to the table for a conversation on how to reduce electric rates. Mr. Cross emphasized the importance of having qualified Kansas Corporation Commission (KCC) individuals with very specific technical skills that are allowed to take an apolitical approach to very complex issues. He explained that an elective process could very well lead to biased decisions based upon who is most able to win the last election, not necessarily what is fair to all Kansans. He continued to state that the current system works very well in that commissioner performances reflect upon the governor and nominees must also be confirmed by the Kansas Senate committee and approved by the entire senate floor.
Kimberly Svaty focused her comments on Section 3 defining the creation of a duplicate staff in the Kansas Attorney General's Office. Ms. Svaty explained that the bill takes the relationship of the municipalities from a regulatory relationship toward a more litigious prosecutorial one.
Committee questions and comments ensued raising the possibilities of expanding the KCC from three to five appointed or elected commissioners.
Seeing no more testimony the Chairman closed the hearing on the bill.
