John Legg, Chris Sprowls Propose PSC Reforms

On Friday, two Tampa Bay Republicans in the Florida Legislature -- Sen. John Legg of Lutz and Rep. Chris Sprowls of Clearwater -- introduced a bill to reform the state Public Service Commission (PSC).

The new bill aligns the state into five districts, using the same lines as the current district courts of appeal, and PSC members must reside in the districts for which they are named. The bill would also limit commissioners to two terms and would ensure elected officials do not serve on the PSC until at least two years after they leave office.

The Public Service Commission should serve the public good, Sprowls said on Friday. While millions of Floridians are left in the dark or fleeced by companies like Duke Energy the PSC continues to turn a blind eye. These meaningful first steps will add some diversity and accountability to the PSC as we work on other reforms that will fundamentally alter the culture of the PSC.

Reforms are needed to restore confidence in the Public Service Commission, Legg said. Unfortunately, people dont feel like theyve been dealt with fairly and that is a problem. I applaud Representative Sprowls for his courage and leadership on making this his first bill.