Terrified Republicans inoculate themselves against Dem takeover in red state

Horrified by the Democratic conquest of statewide offices in neighboring Georgia, Alabama Republicans are revamping their own division to assure their Republican governor will have majority control.

AL.com reports the Alabama Senate passed a bill Thursday that expands the state’s Public Service Commission from three positions to seven — but with the Republican state governor having the power to pick four members, giving the governor a clear majority on board decisions.

The commission monitors and approves rate increases from state power and gas companies, which hold monopolies in their representative territories. Proponents of the new law claim the expansion is all about keeping customers’ rates low.

“The people are fed up with paying high power rates,” said Sen. Clyde Chambliss, R-Prattville. “We know we have inflation. We know things go up over time. And if our inflation for power was similar to our neighboring states, I don’t think we’d be talking about this today.”

The timing seems odd considering the state of Alabama currently ranked 28th lowest in power rates in 2024.

However, it makes more sense when considering that Democrats are ransacking PSC elections in the neighboring state of Georgia. Democrats delivered “a 26-point rout” in two usually low-profile races for the Georgia Public Service Commission last year after Democrats successfully seized on a crusade to lower voters’ costs — starting with utilities — as inflation booms under President Donald Trump.

Georgia’s all-Republican Public Service Commission had raised electricity rates for consumers six times in the last two years, adding an average of more than $40 per month to power bills on top of what people were already paying. This scored badly with voters dealing with similar increases in the cost of housing, groceries and other household necessities.

Politico reports Georgia resident Leila Meadows, who voted for Trump three times, “had never heard of Georgia’s Public Service Commission,” but cast her ballot for Democratic candidates Alicia Johnson and Peter Hubbard in last November’s special election after the candidates promised to halt rate increases in the state.

Votes likes this installed Democrats on Georgia’s Public Service Commission for the first time in more than 20 years. Alabama Republicans have apparently noticed, and are working to assure a majority Republican commission by giving state Gov. Kay Ivey the power to appoint four members of the new seven-member board.

An earlier version of the bill, which died under opposition, would have given the governor the power to appoint all board members, ending democratic elections for the board.