A group of Black voters say it’s time for a federal judge to redraw the electoral map for a five-member Georgia utility regulator commission, after state lawmakers failed to draw their own map in the 2023 session.
The Public Service Commission regulates Georgia Power Co. and other utilities, determining how much companies are allowed to bill millions of ratepayers. The commissioners serve staggered six-year terms, but elections for two members have been delayed by the voting rights lawsuit.
Lawyers for the group on Tuesday asked U.S. District Judge Steven Grimberg to start the process for drawing maps, even though there’s an ongoing appeal of his ruling that the current system of at-large statewide elections illegally dilutes Black votes. The 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals has yet to issue a decision after arguments in December. The U.S. Justice Department is supporting the plaintiffs.
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