It is time for the General Assembly to approve PSC reform

South Carolina lawmakers have got to end their stalemate over Public Service Commission reform and bring changes to the body that decides how much we pay for utilities like power and telephone service.

The House of Representatives and the Senate agree that changes are needed. And both houses have passed bills reforming the PSC. But those bills have differences, and lawmakers have been unable to reach agreement about what they can include in a bill that can pass the entire legislature.

They need to make a focused effort this year to craft a bill that can gain support in the House and Senate. The current situation is unsustainable.

Not only has the issue of PSC reform gone unresolved for two years, but this legislative failure has resulted in preventing commission elections. Terms of commissioners expired in July 2002, but those members continue to serve 18 months later. That's because lawmakers haven't agreed on the rules under which new commissioners can be chosen.

Public Service Commission reform should be a legislative priority. It is needed to build public confidence in the commission and to ensure that the board's sole goal is to protect the interests of consumers.

There are several elements of reform that need to be included in any bill sent to the governor.

New qualifications for commission members need to be established. Commissioners need to be familiar with the utility industry and the issues on which they will make decisions.

The favoritism for lawmakers' relatives should stop. Family members of House and Senate members should be banned from getting PSC jobs. Lawmakers shouldn't use the commission to get their family members well-paid state positions. In 2002, four candidates for seats on the commission were relatives of lawmakers.

And the lobbying of the commission by utility companies should be tightly regulated. In the past, commissioners have been seen as too close and friendly with the companies they regulate.

These reforms would address the issues raised in a Legislative Audit Council report on the commission.

A joint conference committee of Senate and House members is expected to begin work on a compromise bill as early as today. The two houses should drop their hostility toward each other's plans and come up with an agreement that works for the state.

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