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Public Service Commission - TPR's In Focus - March 13, 2026 · In Focus with Carolyn Hutcheson

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  Support comes from the Wiregrass Archives at Troy University's Dothan Campus,
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  identifying and preserving historical documents and photographs for research related to the
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  Wiregrass region. More information at troy.edu slash wiregrass archives.
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  From Troy Public Radio, this is the News Rat from In Focus, and I'm Carolyn Hutcheson.
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  Todd Stacy, host of Alabama Public Television's Capital Journal, discusses the budgets making
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  their way through the Alabama legislature, and a big question about the Public Service Commission.
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  Plus, the wild card is about a stowaway.
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  Todd Stacey, welcome back to the News Rat from Alabama Public Television's Capitol Journal.
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  Good to be with you.
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  What's the big topic this week, Todd?
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  Oh, there's a lot going on in the Alabama legislature. Both budgets are moving. The
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  Senate passed the general fund budget. The House passed the education trust fund budget.
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  Now they're going to crisscross each other and go to the other respective chambers. So that's
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  a big deal. You know, we only have eight days remaining in this session, and so the budget's
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  on the move, and everybody's glad to see that. But the big issue this week was more on this
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  Public Service Commission issue and electricity rates. That's really the top issue, maybe,
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  of the session. And so the Senate passed a bill that would expand the Public Service Commission.
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  That's the group that regulates utilities, power company, gas company, would expand it from three
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  members to seven, and also create a secretary of energy appointed by the governor to kind of
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  oversee their operations. It passed unanimously in the Senate, and they say that the point is to
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  encourage the body to get a handle on electricity rates. There's a separate measure
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  moving in the House. It's probably ready for a vote that would mandate rate hearings. They
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  haven't had a rate hearing at the PSC since the 80s, and so that will bring some transparency
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  to the process. And again, the point is to eventually get a handle on electricity rates.
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  So that's become a big issue this session. I'm hearing from Republicans, Democrats,
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  leadership, rank and file, that they really want to get something across the finish line this year.
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  So basically, would the PSC be elected the members, or would they be appointed?
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  That's right, elected, because there was a proposal earlier in the session to make it
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  an appointed body. People really get upset about that. There was a lot of pushback,
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  basically, from folks saying, hey, you're taking away my ability to vote, you know,
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  have my voice heard. So that's off the table. These would be elected members,
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  and they would do it by congressional district, which is an interesting concept.
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  Well, with all that's going on, I think it's time for a wild card. What do you have for us?
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  Absolutely. I love this story from the Associated Press. A red fox found its way onto a cargo ship
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  and sailed all the way from England to New York. They discovered this fox. I mean, that's a long,
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  long way to travel, but he was fine. He's doing okay, and now he's in the Bronx Zoo. This cute
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  little fox. He's at the zoo. They checked him out. He's doing okay. And now he needs a name.
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  The fox needs a name, and I mean, I'm sorry, but isn't Todd the best name? Remember the fox and
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  the hound? I think I'll go ahead and name him Todd. And I tell you, Toby would love to play,
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  if he gets domesticated enough. Yeah, let's go with his new name, Todd the Fox. Meanwhile,
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  who's on Capital Journal? We're going to be talking with Congressman Shamari Figures
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  about everything going on in Congress, from Iran to the Department of Homeland Security,
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  some of the votes they've been taking lately. So a good update from Congressman Figures. Also
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  going to be talking with House Education Budget Chairman Danny Garrett. The House passed the
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  education budget this week. So yeah, a great episode. I hope you'll tune in tonight, 7.30,
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  Sunday at noon. And of course, YouTube, if you'd like to catch up or hear an episode again.
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  That's right. Go to YouTube, search Capital Journal, and subscribe to the channel. It's
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  free, and you'll never miss an episode. Todd, thank you so much for the news wrap.
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  Thank you. That was Todd Stacy, host of Alabama Public Television's Capital Journal.
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  More information can be found at the website aptv.org. Thanks for joining us today for the
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  news wrap from In Focus, which is a podcast wherever you get your podcasts. I'm Carolyn
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  Hutcheson, and this is listener supported Troy Public Radio.