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Process in confirming PUC appointees pushed
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Posted on May 27 2008
A lawmaker has offered ideas to help formalize the confirmation process for nominees to the Public Utilities Commission.
Rep. Tina Sablan submitted her list of recommendations in the wake of the governor’s submission of two more nominations to the PUC. Accountant David Burger and former Commonwealth Utilities Commission director Laura Manglona are awaiting confirmation by both the Senate and House of Representatives.
Sablan, in a memorandum to Speaker Arnold I. Palacios and the House Committee on Public Utilities, Transportation, and Communications, said the nominees should be required to submit background documents before any formal confirmation hearing.
She also suggested that confirmation hearings be conducted jointly by the PUTC standing committees in both the House and Senate. She said these hearings should be open to the public, and announced at least two weeks early to allow members of the public to submit testimony or additional information that may be useful to the Legislature in reviewing the nominations.
In addition, she said, appointees should be required to submit a testimony detailing their background and qualifications, including declarations of any conflict of interest, a statement of understanding of the issues facing public utilities and how they plan to help solve them, and a description of actions the nominees would pursue if confirmed to PUC.
The controversy over the confirmation of PUC member Kimberlyn King-Hinds highlighted the lack of a formal process for confirming PUC appointees. Some lawmakers, including Sablan and Rep. Stanley T. Torres, raised strong opposition to the majority’s decision to confirm King-Hinds without a confirmation hearing.
Other confirmed PUC members are Viola Alepuyo and Kyle Calabrese.
