A Public Service Commissioner is an elected official who serves on the Public Service Commission. This statewide, five-person board acts as the chief regulators for utilities, telecommunications, and trucking in Georgia.

The functions of the Public Service Commission have changed a lot since its founding in 1879, when it was initially formed to oversee the construction and maintenance of railroads. Georgia was actually one of the first States to establish a regulatory agency like this. Today, the Georgia Public Service Commission ensures that consumers receive safe, reliable, and reasonably-priced telecommunications, electric, and natural gas services. They do this by regulating the rates charged and services provided by most intrastate, investor-owned telecommunications, gas, and electric utilities operating in Georgia (companies such as Georgia Power and Atlanta Natural Gas and Light). The commission also ensures the safety of all-natural gas pipelines in the state and requires proof of insurance and safety inspections in the trucking industry.

Part of 5-person board that regulates power, natural gas, telecommunications, and trucking for Georgia

Georgia

2020 General Election, Federal Runoff

Utility Costs

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- A Public Service Commissioner is an elected official who serves on the Public Service Commission. This statewide, five-person board acts as the chief regulators for public utilities in Georgia. This includes power, natural gas, telecommunications, and trucking in Georgia.
- In 1879, the Public Service Commission was formed to oversee the construction and maintenance of railroads. Today, the Georgia Public Service Commission ensures that consumers receive safe and reliable telecommunications, electricity, and natural gas. 
- Public Service Commissioners heavily influence how much you pay in utilities by regulating the rates charged by most intrastate, investor-owned telecommunications, gas, and electric utilities operating in Georgia (companies such as Georgia Power and Atlanta Natural Gas and Light).
- The commission is made up of five elected members who serve staggered, six-year terms. Each commissioner is elected by a statewide election.

Part of a 5-person board that regulates Georgia’s public utilities

Public Service Commissioner

A US Senator represents all of Georgia in the US Senate, where they can author, sponsor, and vote on bills within the Senate that may become federal laws after going through the legislative process. The Senate, along with the House of Representatives, makes up the US Congress. Congress acts as the Legislative Branch of the United States Government. Like all states, Georgia gets two US Senators, both of whom represent the entire state for six-year terms in Washington DC.

Federal legislation is extremely important in our day-to-day lives. For example, S.3548 (better known as the CARES Act) began in the Senate. The “S” at the front of a bill number indicates that it started in the Senate, meaning a US Senator had to sponsor this bill. This involved garnering support for CARES Act among Senators, successfully taking it through all relevant committees within the Senate (in this case, the finance committee), and ultimately passing it on to the US House of Representatives where the bill repeated the process with US Representatives.

Powers specific to the US Senate include:

- Handling impeachment trials of government officials, which has happened 19 times, (including two presidents) in Senate history
- Voting on nominations of Supreme Court justices, Ambassadors, and other roles
- Voting on treaties
- Expelling Senators, which has happened 15 times in Senate history
- Investigating the executive branch

Represents all of Georgia as a federal lawmaker in the US Senate

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Foreign Policy

- The US Senator is a member of the United States Senate, the upper house of the United States Congress. There are a total of 100 US Senators. Georgia, like every other US state, has two senators. 
- US Senators have a great deal of power when it comes to bringing the concerns of their state to the national arena. US Senators can author, sponsor, amend, debate and vote on bills which may become national law. 
- US Senators have an important role in deciding who runs the federal government. They hold confirmation hearings for most presidential appointees, including new Supreme Court Justices and Presidential Cabinet Members.
- Senators can be appointed to committees which focus on particular issues. Examples include the Appropriations Committee, which handles budget planning, or the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, which is a diplomatic body that welcomes foreign delegations.
- Senators are elected to six-year terms in statewide elections. US Senators are paid a salary of $174,000/year.

2021 Georgia candidates

Public Service Commission, District 4

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Georgia US Senator Runoff

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US Senate (Special Election)

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