BIRMINGHAM, AL – Today, Doug Jones issued the following statement regarding the latest legislative effort to change the Alabama Public Service Commission through a Senate substitute for HB 475 which overwhelmingly passed the State House:

“If you want to see a con job, watch what's happening in the Alabama legislature about the Public Service Commission. Rep. Mack Butler's HB 475 that passed the House was a good bill. For the first time in over 40 years, Alabamians had a real chance to get a formal rate case where power companies would have to justify their rates in public. When that bill got to the Senate, Republican leadership not only gutted the requirement of a rate case from HB 475 but added their PSC packing plan to increase the PSC from 3 to 7 members with Governor Ivey appointing four seats this summer before the election. The substitute would also effectively put control of the PSC in the hands of a non-elected “energy secretary” also appointed by the governor. 

Now, Republicans are trying to ram this bill, which is HB 475 in name only, through the legislature before the Alabama people realize what's going on. Why? Because the utility companies are pulling the strings. Our legislature should not be working to protect powerful interests, but working families whose utility rates are much too high. We have an election coming up in which 2 PSC seats will be on the ballot. Republicans and Democrats are competing in their respective primaries to be the candidates on the ballot in November. We need to elect the PSC this fall and let the newly elected members of the PSC try and right this ship.

If we are serious about lowering costs, we need transparency and accountability. This bill, as it stands now, does not make the Public Service Commission more transparent and accountable. Instead it is just a con job on the people of Alabama that preserves the ability of special interests to control your power bills and their profits. This should not be a partisan issue. I urge all Alabama citizens to join me in asking the legislature to defeat this con job."