Senate Votes Out Crist's PSC Appointees

Rallying around concerns that Gov. Charlie Crist's nominees were neither professionally qualifiied nor diverse enough, senators refused to confirm Ben Stevens and David Klement for seats on the Florida Public Service Commission, the state agency charged with regulating utilities.

Senators voted 21-17 against Klement, former editorial page editor of the Bradenton Herald, and 23-14 against Stevens, past president of the Florida Institute of Certified Public Accountants.

The two nominees, selected from a pool sent to the governor, have faced a rocky road since the Senate started its confirmation hearings early this month. Throughout the process, senators, including at least one of those who nominated the candidates to the governor, have been concerned that the candidates didn't answer their questions well.

Crestfallen, New Port Richey Republican Sen. Mike Fasano, long-time advocate for PSC reform, saw the tide turning and told his fellow lawmakers to approve the nominees and not let special interests influence their decision

"Don't allow the 'Third Chamber' out there to make the decision," he said. "...Don't let politics play a part in this decision today."

Niceville Republican Sen. Don Gaetz said that Klement doesn't have the industry-specific knowledge needed to serve on the regulatory agency. He said that legislators have the right to be generalists. PSC commissioners don't.

"It's not a legislative body," Gaetz said, echoing Sens. Mike Haridopolos, John Thrasher and others. "They don't get elected. We don't need generalists."

Tampa Democratic Sen. Arthenia Joyner, who nominated the two as part of the candidates sent to Crist, said that the answers she received from Klement in the confirmation process was not satisfactory. She and Orlando Democrat Sen. Chris Smith have complained that the PSC lacks racial diversity and that Crist passed over qualified black candidates in favor of his nominees.

Smith has always rejected the nominees Joyner said she initially decided to move Klement along in the process despite her reservations. Today, she took a stand and advocated voted them down.

"The governor had the opportunity to make the commission look like Florida, and he didn't," she said.