Kentucky PSC left without a quorum after Senate denies appointment

The Senate denied a commission appointment in the closing hours of the General Assembly session

FRANKFORT, Ky. (WTVQ) – A move in the closing hours of the legislative session Thursday left the Kentucky Public Service Commission without a quorum, so it can’t do business.

The GOP dominated Senate denied the appointment of the commission’s vice-chair, Amy Cubbage, who most recently served as Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear’s general counsel.  That left the three-person commission with only one member.

The timing is bad because in the next two weeks, the commission, which regulates utilities, is supposed to be approving or denying the $2.8 billion sale of Kentucky Power, which is one of the commission’s biggest cases ever.

It’s up to the governor to fill the two vacancies.