For decades, regulated monopoly utilities have exercised their political will in Georgia without a tool available to other corporations -- the ability to bankroll state political campaigns in their own name.
Now a group called Georgia Fair Speech Coalition is pushing to change that through a bill introduced on Thursday by state Sen. Don Balfour, R-Snellville. Senate Bill 160 would end Georgia's 36-year ban on state political giving by monopoly utilities and other companies supervised by the state Public Service Commission.
The bill would let utilities donate to all state campaigns except for the PSC, either directly or through employee-funded state political action committees.
The original ban was intended to curb the influence of state-created monopolies in state politics. It eventually was applied to companies with a mix of monopoly and competitive businesses, such as telecommunications firms.
Balfour called the ban "blatantly unconstitutional," in light of a recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling, which said corporate political giving is protected speech. "Every contiguous state to Georgia allows this," Balfour said. "We're the dinosaur."
Backers include Atlanta Gas Light, AT&T, Verizon, Sprint, the Cable Television Association and the state's electric membership cooperatives. The state's biggest utility, Georgia Power, remains neutral on the issue.
Although utilities and utility PACs haven't given in the past, utility executives, lawyers and lobbyists give routinely. SB 160 could increase utility giving substantially.
In 2010, Georgia Power employees gave $29,315 to state campaigns, records show. The Troutman Sanders law firm, which represents Georgia Power and many other companies, gave $98,500.
In neighboring Alabama, where state law allows utility-led PACs to donate, Alabama Power, Georgia Power's sister company, gave $877,119 to state campaigns in 2010.
Spokespeople for Common Cause and Georgia's Tea Party, which are working to lessen the impact of money in politics, said they had not seen the bill and couldn't comment.
Angela Speir, executive director for the consumer group Georgia Watch, said she also couldn't comment on specifics, but was worried the bill could give already powerful political players even more clout.
"If this passes, they'll have even greater influence over policy," Speir said.
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