Friday, August 07, 2009

MoCo and Prince George's State Legislators Urge Re-Regulation (Updated)

Eleven Senators and seventeen Delegates from Montgomery and Prince George's Counties signed a joint letter to the Maryland Public Service Commission calling for electricity re-regulation. Find out who signed below!

Here's the letter:



The identities of the non-signatories are even more interesting than the signatories. Five Senators and thirty-one Delegates did not sign:

Senator Rob Garagiola (D-15)
Senator Jennie Forehand (D-17)
Senator Nancy King (D-39)
Senator Nathaniel Exum (D-24)
Senate President Mike Miller (D-27)

Delegate Anne Kaiser (D-14)
Delegate Herman Taylor (D-14)
Delegate Kathleen Dumais (D-15)
Delegate Brian Feldman (D-15)
Delegate Craig Rice (D-15)
Delegate Bill Bronrott (D-16)
Delegate Bill Frick (D-16)
House Majority Leader Kumar Barve (D-17)
Delegate Jim Gilchrist (D-17)
Delegate Luiz Simmons (D-17)
Delegate Al Carr (D-18)
Delegate Roger Manno (D-19)
Delegate Sheila Hixson (D-20)
Delegate Tom Hucker (D-20)
Delegate Heather Mizeur (D-20)
Delegate Charles Barkley (D-39)
Delegate Kirill Reznik (D-39)
Delegate Tawanna Gaines (D-22)
Delegate Anne Healey (D-22)
Delegate Gerron Levi (D-23A)
Delegate Marvin Holmes (D-23B)
Delegate Carolyn Howard (D-24)
Delegate Michael Vaughn (D-24)
Delegate Aisha Braveboy (D-25)
Delegate Dereck Davis (D-25)
Delegate Melony Griffith (D-25)
Delegate Veronica Turner (D-26)
Delegate Jay Walker (D-26)
Delegate James Proctor (D-27A)
Delegate Sue Cullen (D-27B)
Delegate Jolene Ivey (D-47)

These legislators were wise to withhold their signatures right now. Any state politicians who really want to save their constituents money should first protect their right to save double-digits off their bill through consumer choice. Re-regulation would end those savings. If the electricity industry truly needs reform, that reform must protect our existing ability to save money first.

Update: Not a single member of the two committees with jurisdiction over re-regulation, Senate Finance and House Economic Matters, signed this letter. These are the legislators who actually heard testimony on the issue last year.