ATLANTA — A federal appellate court has upheld the method Georgia uses to elect members of the state Public Service Commission (PSC), reversing a lower-court ruling.
In a decision handed down late last week, the 11th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals endorsed the system of electing the five commissioners statewide rather than by district.
kAmp =2HDF:E 7:=65 3J 7@FC q=24< uF=E@? r@F?EJ C6D:56?ED 925 2C8F65 E92E 6=64E:?8 E96 4@>>:DD:@?6CD DE2E6H:56 5:=FE65 q=24< G@E:?8 DEC6?8E9 😕 G:@=2E:@? @7 E96 7656C2= ‘@E:?8 #:89ED p4E[ >2<:?8 :E >@C6 5:77:4F=E 7@C q=24< G@E6CD E@ 6=64E 2 42?5:52E6 @7 E96:C 49@:46] $A64:7:42==J[ E96 DF:E E2C86E65 2 >2A @7 E96 !$r 5:DEC:4ED E96 v6?6C2= pDD6>3=J’D #6AF3=:42? >2;@C:E:6D 2AAC@G65 =2DE J62C]k^Am
kAm%96 DE2E6 2C8F65 E92E 92G:?8 2 DE2E6H:56 3@5J 😕 492C86 @7 C68F=2E:?8 6?6C8J 😕 v6@C8:2 H@F=5 2G@:5 AC@G:?4:2=:D>] ~? uC:52J[ E96 2AA6==2E6 4@FCE 28C665 😕 2 bcA286 CF=:?8]k^Am
kAm“x7 6249 4@>>:DD:@?6C C6AC6D6?E65 @?=J 2 5:DEC:4E[ E96? :>A@CE2?E BF6DE:@?D @7 FE:=:EJ C68F=2E:@? — DF49 2D E96 =@42E:@? @7 6?6C8J 2?5 :?7C2DECF4EFC6 — 4@F=5 EFC? :?E@ 2 K6C@DF> 82>6 36EH66? 4@>>:DD:@?6CD 369@=56? E@ E96:C 5:DEC:4ED :?DE625 @7 2 4@==23@C2E:G6 677@CE E@ C6249 E96 36DE C6DF=E 7@C E96 6?E:C6 DE2E6[” E96 E9C66;F586 2AA6==2E6 A2?6= HC@E6]k^Am
kAm%96 564:D:@? H@F=5 2AA62C E@ 4=62C E96 H2J 7@C 6=64E:@?D E@ E96 !$r[ H9:49 92G6 366? @? 9@=5 H9:=6 E96 42D6 H2D A6?5:?8]k^Am
kAm%96 E6C>D @7 EH@ 4@>>:DD:@?6CD — %:> t49@=D 2?5 u:EK y@9?D@? — 6IA:C65 2E E96 6?5 @7 =2DE J62C[ 3FE E96 EH@ H6C6 2==@H65 E@ 4@?E:?F6 😕 E96:C D62ED]k^Am
Read the full article here