ATLANTA (AP)-A bill that would pave
the way for Atlanta Gas Light to bill customers
for construction of a new $300
million pipeline has cleared a Senate
committee, after the panel's chairman
called for a vote on the measure once
Democrats had left the room.
The highly unusual move by state
Sen. Mitch Seabaugh, R-Sharpsburg,
came under attack from critics who said
it did Georgians a disservice.
"Consumers who will have to pay for
this pipeline were misled as to when this
bill would be voted on and were given no
time to digest the substitute or lobby for
improvements," Jim Kulstad, a lobbyist
for Common Cause Georgia, told The
Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
Seabaugh said several times during a
hearing on Wednesday that the pipeline
bill would not come up for a vote that
day. But after the hearing concluded and
lawmakers and lobbyists had begun to
drift away, Seabaugh reversed course and
called for a vote.
Three Republican leaders, who had
not sat through the testimony, suddenly
appeared for the rescheduled vote.
President Pro Tem Eric Johnson, R-Savannah,
Senate Majority Leader Tommie
Williams, R-Lyons, and Appropriations
Chairman Jack Hill, R-Reidsville, all
voted in favor of the bill.
Three Democrats who had listened
to the lengthy testimony-Sens. Regina
Thomas, D-Savannah; Gloria Butler,
D-Stone Mountain; and Doug Stoner,
D-Smyrna-had already left and did not
return in time for the vote.
Seabaugh said Thursday that members
of his committee said they were "fine with it" so he decided to go ahead
and vote on the bill. He said he called a 10
minute recess and reached out by cell phone
to the Democrats who had left the room.
But he said with the Senate schedule
packed as the end of the session draws
near it made sense to take the vote while
the available GOP members were gathered.
A spokeswoman for Johnson also did
not return a phone call.
The bill which passed out of the Senate
Regulated Industries and Utilities
Committee is slightly different from the
version which passed in the House earlier
this year.
It would provide the Public Service
Commission more time to decide the
issue-120 days instead of the 90 days
the House bill called for. That is still a far
shorter window than is typically provided
for the commission to consider utility
requests to spend ratepayer money on
capital expansions.
The bill doesn't approve the
pipeline. The PSC must still sign off on the
deal. But it puts in place a streamlined set
of procedures for the PSC to do so.
After the pipeline is completed, Atlanta
Gas Light would be able to bill ratepayers
for the cost of its construction. It is estimated
that would tack another $2 a month
onto heating bills for the next 30 years.
Critics question whether the pipeline
is needed and say the bill hampers the
ability of the PSC to provide oversight
afterward.
Supporters say it will help keep up
with Georgia's fast-growing population
and will drive down prices in the long run.
On The Net:
The bill is H.B. 1325:
http://www.legis.ga.gov
Source: AP - AP Wire Service
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