Georgia’s Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger canceled the fall elections for the state’s Public Service Commission.

Hello Bosses,

The residents of Georgia are in a judicial quagmire and we must find a way to move past this so that we can begin voting again for these important positions that affect how we spend our money on home and car insurance, water, energy, electric and gas. You see the Georgia Public Service Commission does whatever Georgia Power asks of them which usually means raising our insurance and power bills as you can personally attest to if you heat and cool a space and power an electrical device. 

ATLANTA – There will be no Georgia Public Service Commission (GPSC) elections this year because a lawsuit challenging the system, the state uses to elect commissioners is still pending, the secretary of state’s office announced Wednesday.

The 11th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals ruled last November that the five-member GPSC may continue holding elections statewide rather than by district.

A lawsuit filed by four Black Fulton County residents had argued that electing the commissioners statewide diluted Black voting strength in violation of the federal Voting Rights Act, making it more difficult for Black voters to elect a candidate of their choice.

Specifically, the suit targeted a map of the GPSC districts the General Assembly’s Republican majorities adopted two years ago. The terms of two commissioners – Republicans Tim Echols and Fitz Johnson – expired at the end of 2022, but they were allowed to continue in their seats until the lawsuit was settled.

Because the plaintiffs have appealed the appellate court decision and the case remains pending, this year’s GPSC elections have been postponed again. This story is a repost from Capital Beat. 

Citizens it is up to us to figure out how to move this challenge forward, this has to do with our bottom line and we pay a pretty penny for the above-mentioned PUBLIC SERVICES… Reach out to Georgia Conservation Voter, Neil Sardana bit.ly/aprilhearing(copy and paste into browser) and spend some time speaking to the GPSC they are your employees and they are not doing a good job. Neil and GCV are leading the way in fighting for reduced energy bills and the right to fair representation of the GPSC, I forgot to mention that all of the commissioners are Republicans. 

Calling off Georgia PSC Elections is an attack on our democracy and our clean energy future.

Atlanta, GA: This week, Georgia’s Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger canceled the fall elections for the state’s Public Service Commission. This decision comes after the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled the current election structure disenfranchised the state’s black voters. Elections have already been delayed for two years. Two current commissioners’ terms expired in 2022, but they remain in office. Fitz Johnson, who was appointed by Governor Kemp to fill the seat in 2021, has never been elected to the position he currently serves. 

In response to this unprecedented decision, Georgia Conservation Voters Executive Director, Brionté McCorkle released the following statement:

“Georgians are once again witnessing an attack on our democracy. Canceling elections and leaving unelected, term-expired leaders in power is not something this state or, frankly, this country should stand for. This commission has relentlessly approved rate hikes for everyday Georgians and blocked new clean energy development across the state. Discrimination in our elections cannot be an excuse to never hold them in the first place. We will not stand by while they refuse to be held accountable. Georgians demand their voices be heard.”

About the Georgia PSC: The Public Service Commission (PSC) is a body of five elected officials who regulate our electricity, natural gas, and telecommunications across Georgia. They decide how much Georgia Power customers pay for power and what kind of energy sources Georgia Power uses, which is important for climate. We want them to move away from expensive, dirty fossil fuels towards affordable, clean, renewable energy. Repost from GCV Ed Fund, https://gcvedfund.org/.