Baker Opines PSC Violated Law

Georgia's top attorney has ruled that the Public Service Commission had no authority to defy a 16-year-old state law when it voted to extend the tenure of its chairman. Since 1992, the PSC chair has served for one year. Recently, however, the PSC voted to increase the chair's tenure from one to two years.

Commissioner Bobby Baker was one of two who voted against extending the tenure. The other was Commissioner Chuck Eaton. Both are seen as strong consumer advocates.

"I had advised the commissioners from the very beginning that we couldn't ignore the law and the PSC wasn't empowered to take unilateral action to ignore the law and change. I'm hoping that everybody will sit down and review the attorney general's opinion and do the right thing," says Baker.

The man next in line to lead the PSC is Commissioner Stan Wise of Marietta. Wise responded to the AG's opinion saying …

"It's just that. It's an opinion. And so, if Chairman Everett steps down and I assume the chairmanship on July 1st, it remains to be seen if somebody can and will challenge this commission if I continue past January 1st."

A legislative attempt earlier this year to extend the one year tenure made it out of the state House of Representatives but died on the floor of the Senate. Current PSC Chair Doug Everett is scheduled to step down June 30. Under the new rules, Everett will serve another year, absent a legal challenge.

Barber, former PSC commissioner, dies

Former Georgia Public Service commissioner J. Mac Barber has died. He was 91. A memorial service Friday will honor Barber, one of Georgia's longest-serving elected officials who died in Macon on Sunday. Barber served as a member of the Georgia House of Representatives from 1949 to 1973. He was then elected to the PSC five times and briefly served as mayor of Commerce in the late 1980s. Barber is remembered as an eccentric politician, sometimes sleeping in his office to avoid long commutes.

(Associated Press)

Surprise Endorsement, Heated Discussion Marks PSC Race

Shortly after the taping of the Public Service Commission District 4 debate today, a surprise endorsement came for Democratic candidate Jim Powell. Republican Pam Davidson, who herself ran for the District 4 seat, endorsed the Democrat.

Davidson lost by 3 percentage points against current Republican candidate Lauren “Bubba” McDonald during the summer primary. During the campaign, Davidson linked McDonald to the utility industry, saying he had a cozy relationship with executives.

McDonald has repeatedly brushed off the criticism, noting he lowered electric rates during his first term on the PSC between 1998-2002.

In an interview with GPB after the debate, Davidson, an energy lobbyist, said “If you knew what I knew[about his relationship with the industry] you’d have run against Bubba yourself. He's not fit for this job.” Davidson didn't provide specific examples. Davidson also says she doesn’t care about whether the endorsement of a Democrat hurts her political future in the Republican Party or her job as a lobbyist.

During the debate, McDonald pushed back against numerous questions highlighting his ties to the industry. Meanwhile, Jim Powell answered repeated questions about why his residency for the seat is in dispute.

The Public Service Commission District 4 debate will air tonight at 7 p.m. on your GPB T.V. station.

New rules for teachers due summer '09

Certified state school employees in Georgia will soon have a new set of ethics guidelines. Among the changes recommended by one union … sanctions against employees who harass their peers.

No one change prompted the Georgia Professional Standards Commission to re-write its ethics guidelines, which were last reviewed in 2005, says Gary Walker, director of the PSC’s Educator Ethics Division. Walker says the revised code simply clarifies existing rules and will have less legal jargon. For example, “Instead of talking about maintaining a professional relationship with students, we have our standard called ‘abuse of students.’ We want the focus to be on maintaining a professional relationship, how do you that and what happens if you violate that.”

Walker says the group may also investigate personal behavior if it conflicts with a teacher's professional responsibilities. The Georgia Association of Educators was one of the advisory groups for the new standards which will go into effect in July of next year. Educators who violate ethics code rules face a range of penalties, including having their licenses revoked.