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46-527: The PSC is charged with protecting the public interest and promoting a healthy business-investment economy. The PSC is responsible for varying degrees of regulation in State telecommunications, gas, and electric companies and for establishing and enforcing the standards for quality of service. Unlike counterparts in other states, the Georgia PSC does not regulate water/sewer or gas providers. The regulatory functions of

92-589: A ban on 16-year-olds driving without adult supervision in 18 metropolitan Atlanta counties. Further, Barnes supported the building of the Northern Arc , an outer perimeter north of Atlanta, which met with opposition from locals. During most of his tenure, State Senator Charles B. Tanksley , served as his floor manager in the Georgia Senate . Facing re-election, Barnes lost in an upset in November 2002 as part of

138-479: A competitive market. Thus the commission no longer sets rates for telephone services but establishes and administers a universal access fund, which ensures reasonable access to services for customers; monitors rates and service quality; and mediates disputes between competitors. By the end of 2003 the number of certificated local competitive telephone exchange providers had grown to 221. More than 1.8 million Georgia customers use natural gas. In early 1997 Georgia became

184-528: A full term in 2000, but was defeated for re-election in 2006 by Chuck Eaton . Successive African American party nominees, including Democrats and a Libertarian, have failed to win election to any seat on the PSC since. In addition, six runoff elections were held for seats on the PSC in 1992, 1998, 2006, 2008, 2018 and 2020, in which racial polarization resulted in candidates preferred most by African-American candidates being repeatedly defeated in runoff elections. After

230-461: A larger Republican midterm sweep . Although some commentators have pointed to the ire of voters opposing the flag change and him upsetting teachers as leading to his defeat, the cause was finally attributed toward a strong shift to GOP within that election cycle across many offices in the State of Georgia, at that time. Barnes was defeated by Sonny Perdue , the first Republican to be elected Governor of Georgia since Reconstruction . According to

276-443: A legal challenge to the state's voter ID law . Barnes argued before the court that the voter identification law was unconstitutional because Plaintiff Rosalind Lake - a first-time voter after having moved to Georgia - did not have a driver's license, and was therefore excluded in a discriminatory manner. The state's highest court, however, stated that Lake, the only plaintiff in the case, had photograph identification through MARTA,

322-471: A majority on the PSC for the first time, and would win all seats by 2006. The 1998 elections change was met since with criticism that the residency requirement diluted the voting power of Black residents in Georgia's racially-polarized voting environment. David Burgess, a Democrat who was appointed by Roy Barnes in 1998 to represent District 3, was the first African-American member of the PSC and won election to

368-442: A majority vote of the commissioners. It is authorized only to issue administrative orders. Furthermore, its rulings must be consistent with current legal standards and are subject to judicial review by the courts. Although the PSC over the years has regulated the rates and service of the telecommunications, gas, and electric industries, today it does not regulate all utility companies within these sectors. The commission regulates only

414-406: A monopoly in the market, withdrew from selling natural gas to become a distributor of natural gas in 1999. Unregulated marketing companies now sell natural gas at variable prices, much in the way that long-distance telephone companies operate. By all accounts Georgia's transition from monopoly to market competition has been very contentious. Several problems have plagued the deregulation process from

460-648: A prosecutor in the Cobb County District Attorney's Office after serving four months in the Army. Barnes’ political career began in 1974, when he was elected by the citizens of Mableton to the Georgia State Senate . Upon his election, Barnes became the youngest member of the Georgia Senate at age 26. Barnes went on to serve eight terms in the Georgia Senate. After his second term, he

506-427: A test before advancing to the next grade. Teachers did not support his proposals for ending tenure and other protections for new teachers, but Georgia's Department of Education supported his calls for ending social promotion. Georgia's Child Advocate Office within Georgia's Division of Family and Children Services (DFCS) was established by Barnes as a result of the death of five-year-old Terrell Peterson , whose care

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552-610: Is an American attorney and politician who served as the 80th governor of Georgia from 1999 to 2003. As of 2024, he is the most recent Democrat to serve as governor of Georgia. A Democratic member of the Georgia Senate from 1974 to 1990, Barnes ran unsuccessfully for governor in 1990 , losing to Lieutenant Governor Zell Miller in the Democratic primary. Barnes then served in the Georgia House of Representatives from 1992 to 1998. He ran for governor again in 1998 , handily winning

598-447: The 2020 PSC election , in which African-American Democrat Daniel Blackman was defeated in a run-off by District 4 incumbent Lauren "Bubba" McDonald (who won the most total votes of all three Republican statewide candidates on the runoff ballot, while both David Perdue and Kelly Loeffler lost their runoffs for U.S. Senate on the same ballot), a lawsuit was filed against the PSC election method by Georgia Conservation Voters, alleging that

644-535: The John F. Kennedy Library . Upon completing his service at Atlanta Legal Aid Society, Barnes founded the Barnes Law Group with his daughter, Allison Barnes Salter; son-in-law, John Salter; and long-time law partner, Charles Tanksley . The Barnes Law Group continues Barnes' private law practice which began in 1975 when he formed his first law firm. The Georgia Supreme Court, on June 11, 2007, unanimously dismissed

690-659: The Atlanta Legal Aid Society, Inc., working for six months as a full-time volunteer. During this time, he provided legal advice to indigent clients pro bono , and established a website outlining the rights of consumers: www.myconsumerrights.com. For his leadership in minimizing the Confederate battle emblem on the Georgia state flag despite the political fallout, Barnes was awarded the 2003 Profile in Courage Award by

736-528: The Democratic primary. Running on the themes of education reform and health care reform, he defeated Republican businessman Guy Millner in the general election with a victory of 52% to 44% to become the 80th Governor of Georgia. The Democrats retained control of both houses of the legislature and retained all but two state level offices (Republicans were elected Insurance Commissioner and School Superintendent ). In January 1999 after being elected governor, Barnes’ first act of his new administration

782-728: The District court decision, allowing statewide elections to resume. The U.S. Supreme Court declined to consider an appeal in June 2024. In March 2024, a new law was passed by the Georgia legislature extending the terms of current commissioners and establishing a new schedule of statewide elections. Under the plan commissioners from Districts 2 and 3 will face special elections in 2025, followed by regularly scheduled elections in 2030 and 2026 respectively. Commissioners from Districts 1, 4 and 5 will face elections in 2028, 2028, and 2026 respectively. Roy Barnes Roy Eugene Barnes (born March 11, 1948)

828-474: The February 2004 issue of Georgia Trend , "Democrat Roy Barnes was one of the most powerful governors in history. His nickname 'King Roy' was an affectionate term accorded him by supporters because he knew how to pull the levers and make things happen in the legislature." Barnes was also known as a powerful 'suburban governor.' Following his defeat, Barnes decided to lend his talents to a legal aid organization,

874-463: The Georgia Senate, Barnes entered the 1990 gubernatorial election . He faced Atlanta Mayor Andrew Young and Lt. Governor Zell Miller in the Democratic Primary. Barnes was defeated by Miller, who later won the election and became an ally of Barnes. Barnes returned to politics in 1992, when he was elected to the Georgia House of Representatives . He was appointed vice chair of

920-847: The Judiciary Committee, and chair of the Subcommittee on General Law. During his tenure in the Georgia House, he also served on the Rules and Banks, and Banking Committees. Barnes was a founding board member of Georgia State Bank located in Mableton, Georgia. He served on the bank's board of directors from 1986 until 1997 when he resigned to run for governor. In addition to Georgia State Bank, Barnes has been involved with other community banks in Georgia. In 1998, Barnes ran for governor again, this time defeating Secretary of State Lewis A. Massey to win

966-465: The PSC have changed dramatically since its founding. On October 14, 1879, Georgia became one of the first states to establish a regulatory agency to oversee railroad expansion and competition. Known as the Railroad Commission of Georgia, the commission consisted of three members who were appointed by the governor and served staggered six-year terms. In 1891 telegraph and express companies came under

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1012-505: The PSC resolved the billing disputes. Third, in November 2000 several marketers threatened to shut off service for nonpayment of bills. The PSC voted unanimously to impose an immediate moratorium through April 1, 2001, on shutoffs of gas service for residential customers. In January 2001, in a three-to-two vote, the PSC overrode protests from natural-gas marketers and enacted emergency rules to allow consumers who owe money in back bills to switch to marketers with lower prices. From 1877 to 1906,

1058-496: The PSC. Instead of regulating the rates of telephone and gas services, the commission plays a strong role as a manager and facilitator of open-market competition. Georgia's Telecommunication and Competition Development Act of 1995 and the Federal Telecommunications Act of 1996 have greatly affected the telecommunications industry in Georgia. Both statutes sought to turn the traditional regulated monopoly service into

1104-557: The Railroad Commission was a three-member body appointed by the governor and confirmed by the state senate. In 1906, the Georgia State Constitution reformed the Railroad Commission into a five-member body elected at-large statewide. In 1998, the General Assembly passed HB95, requiring members of the PSC to live in residency districts while retaining the requirement for candidates to run statewide. In 1996, Republicans gained

1150-639: The area's mass transit system, as a result of needed disability access to it, that would have qualified her to vote in July 2006, so she did not have legal standing to file suit. Justice Harold Melton wrote that since Lake had photograph identification that was acceptable for voting, in-person, under the 2006 Act, she did not have standing to challenge the state's voter identification law as an unconstitutional restriction on her voting rights. Previously, Georgians could show one of 17 forms of identification, including those without photos, such as utility bills, to check in at

1196-440: The beginning, and unusually high gas prices have recently exacerbated the situation. As facilitator of the deregulation process, the PSC has played a high-profile role in several disputes. First, early in the deregulation process, the PSC settled several "slamming" cases with marketers. Slamming occurs when companies switch customers without their authorization. Second, after several marketers persistently billed customers incorrectly,

1242-489: The commission's jurisdiction. By 1907 the commission began to regulate docks and wharves, as well as telephone, gas, and electric-power companies, and in 1931 its jurisdiction expanded to cover the trucking industry. In 1922 the Georgia legislature changed the agency's name to the Georgia Public Service Commission to reflect its expanded regulatory role. In 1907 the number of commissioners elected statewide

1288-630: The election to the ballot. On August 19, 2022, the Supreme Court of the United States issued a preliminary ruling vacating the 11th Circuit's stay of the Grimberg ruling, delaying the 2022 elections for PSC and directing the 11th Circuit to review the ruling; the Georgia Secretary of State's office did not contest the ruling, delaying the elections to 2023. In November 2023, the 11th Circuit overturned

1334-514: The entire state continues to vote for all five slots. Commissioners serve staggered six-year terms. The commission depends primarily on appropriations from the Georgia General Assembly. In fiscal year 1999 the total budget of the PSC amounted to approximately $ 14 million, with approximately $ 9.5 million coming from the Georgia legislature and the remaining $ 4.4 million from the federal government and other funds. The fiscal year 2004 budget

1380-501: The family store. He graduated with a degree in history in 1969; and one year later married Marie Dobbs of Marietta, Georgia , with whom he has had three children. After college, Barnes enrolled in the University of Georgia School of Law . While there, he was elected president of the student bar association, and was named outstanding senior. He graduated from law school in 1972 with honors, and returned to Cobb County to work as

1426-595: The first state to adopt legislation to deregulate natural gas with the Natural Gas Competition and Deregulation Act. The commission's role under the Natural Gas Act is similar to the one it plays in the telecommunications market: to facilitate the transition from a regulated monopoly to a competitive marketplace. As part of the deregulation process, the Atlanta Gas Light Company, which had long held

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1472-475: The method violated the Voting Rights Act of 1965 . Other litigation occurred in 2022 regarding the residency requirement, with Gwinnett County resident Patty Durand having qualified for District 2 as a Democrat prior to the passage of legislation which redistricted Gwinnett County from District 2 to District 4. Following the passage of the legislation, Durand switched her residency into a county further into

1518-623: The newly-drawn District 2. Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger moved to remove Durand from the Democratic primary ballot for 2022 for residency, but was blocked by a state judge. Durand alleged that Gwinnett County was moved out of the district in order to deny a challenge to Republican incumbent Tim Echols. Other litigation was filed after the Democratic primary for District 3, in which Chandra Farley challenged Democratic nominee Shelia Edwards' residency in District 3. On August 5, 2022, Judge Steven D. Grimberg ruled in Rose v. Raffensperger that

1564-579: The polls. Supporters said it would increase voter confidence through a better verification process. Legislators revised the law and made it easier for people to get free photo cards for voting, but the rules were repeatedly barred from implementation until early 2008. On February 14, 2006, the Aspen Institute announced the forming of the Commission on No Child Left Behind . Barnes, along with former Secretary of Health and Human Services Tommy Thompson ,

1610-579: The practice of law and co-chaired the Aspen Institute Commission on No Child Left Behind Act . He returned to politics when he ran for governor again in 2010 , losing to Republican Nathan Deal . A decade later, he declined the invitation to act as special counsel in the Georgia election racketeering and fraud case involving former president Donald Trump , and stated, "I told DA Willis that I lived with bodyguards for four years and I didn’t like it, and I wasn’t going to live with bodyguards for

1656-468: The primary and general elections. In 2003, Barnes was awarded the Profile in Courage Award by the John F. Kennedy Library for his success while governor of minimizing the Confederate battle emblem on the Georgia state flag despite the political fallout. It is widely believed that his support of the flag change significantly contributed to his re-election defeat in 2002 . After his defeat, he resumed

1702-417: The rates charged and the services provided by most intrastate, investor-owned telecommunications, gas, and electric utilities operating in Georgia. The commission does not set rates for municipally owned electric and gas utilities or electric membership corporations, although these utilities consult the commission on such matters as financing and the resolution of territorial disputes. The commission also ensures

1748-465: The requirement that candidates live in a district but be elected at-large statewide diluted Black voters' voting power and ordered Raffensperger to cancel the 2022 election until either a new election method is devised by the General Assembly or, failing that, devised by the court. The state appealed the ruling to the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals , which stayed Grimberg's ruling and restored

1794-467: The rest of my life." Roy Barnes was born on March 11, 1948, in Mableton, Georgia . His family owned a general store, which gave him his first exposure to politics as he listened to the conversations of the store patrons. Upon his graduation from South Cobb High School , Barnes enrolled at the University of Georgia . He was active on the debate team; and spent his summers returning home to work in

1840-417: The safety of all natural-gas pipelines in the state. The commission plays a smaller role with regard to the transportation sector. Its authority over truck and express companies and private and for-hire motor carriers is restricted to requiring proof of insurance and safety inspections. The deregulation of the telecommunications and natural gas industries in the 1990s greatly altered the regulatory functions of

1886-462: Was $ 9.3 million. When regulated utility companies bring a rate request before the PSC, the request is first addressed by one of the commission's four standing committees: telecommunications, energy, transportation, or policy development and intergovernmental affairs. The commissioners are assisted by experts on utility and transportation operations, who may provide testimony and make recommendations regarding rates or arbitration. The PSC makes decisions by

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1932-460: Was increased from three to five. Today the five elected commissioners are supported by approximately ninety staff members, and, usually, every two years, the Chair is selected by the commission members. Beginning with the 2000 election year, each seat on the commission is assigned to one of five districts. Candidates for the commission must reside in the district with the available commission seat, although

1978-567: Was named co-chair of the commission. According to its mission, the commission "is a bipartisan effort to identify and build support for improvements in federal education policy to spur academic achievement and close persistent achievement gaps ." Barnes announced his candidacy for the Democratic nomination for Governor of Georgia in the 2010 election on June 3, 2009 in his hometown of Marietta, Georgia . Barnes’ campaign, Roy 2010, emphasized growing jobs, securing water sources, improving education, and expanding transportation options. Barnes won

2024-591: Was named floor leader to Governor Joe Frank Harris , and was appointed chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee. During his tenure in the Georgia Senate, he also served on the Senate Appropriations, Rules, and Transportation committees, and had a major leadership role in rewriting the Georgia constitution as chair of the Select Committee on Constitutional Revision. After eight terms in

2070-460: Was to sign an order banning all lobbyist gifts to the 56,000 employees working in the state government's executive branch. Barnes also took executive action to change the flag of the state of Georgia, despite vocal opposition. The state flag had featured the Confederate battle emblem since 1956. Barnes' education reform measures included eliminating tenure for newly hired teachers and ending social promotion by requiring students to pass

2116-494: Was under state supervision at the time of his death. Barnes signed the Terrell Peterson Act to protect children at risk of death due to abuse, also as a result of Peterson's death. Barnes proposed highway safety measures to curb teen driving in an attempt to save lives of young drivers who are killed in automobile crashes. Barnes proposed a curfew for teens at 10 p.m., a limit on passengers riding in their vehicles, and

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