In an indication of the current lovefest between California’s Democratic-controlled state legislature and its Republican governor, free-market advocate Rachelle Chong’s confirmation to the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) was unanimously approved by the state Senate Thursday, less than 24 hours after the Rules Committee put aside reservations and sent the issue to the full Senate. Without the move, Chong would have been forced to step down from the powerful agency.
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CPUC Commissioner’s Confirmation Hits Roadblock in Legislature
A veteran telecommunications attorney and former Federal Communications Commission member who is a strong free market advocate, Rachelle Chong, had her appointment to the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) take a detour last Wednesday when a state Senate committee held up deciding whether she will be able to serve out the rest of her term. The head of the state legislative body and also committee chairman, Sen. Don Perata, publicly committed to taking a committee vote Wednesday.
CA Governor Appoints New CPUC Member
Rachelle Chong, a former Federal Communications Commissioner in the Clinton Administration, was named by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger Wednesday to the California Public Utilities Commission, replacing Susan Kennedy, who left last month to become the governor’s chief of staff. Chong joins the five-member regulatory commission immediately, although her appointment is subject to state Senate confirmation. She can begin serving for up to a year without confirmation.