http://projects.newsobserver.com/under_the_dome/house_bill_would_muffle_nc_public_staff

The state's Public Staff consumer advocacy agency would be restricted from expressing policy opinions under a bill proposed by a Republican long opposed to North Carolina's renewable energy programs.

Rep. George Cleveland of coastal Onslow County said clamping down on the Public Staff is necessary to keep the agency from promoting political agendas that are not in the public interest.

Cleveland's bill Wednesday passed the House Committee on State Personnel and was sent to the full House for a vote. The Public Staff is a 75-person agency whose function is to advocate for the public in utility rate matters involving electric, natural gas, private water/sewer, ferry and moving companies.

Cleveland said that during the past six years the Public Staff has been advocating for the Democratic Party policy agenda, but would not offer specifics.

"I've dealt with the Public Staff in the past six years and I have become very frustrated in getting information and questioning what they did," Cleveland said. "If we're going to call it the Public Staff it should represent the public."

Robert Gruber, who has directed the Public Staff for the past 30 years, attended the legislative hearing and came prepared to answer questions, but he was not called to the microphone.

After the vote Gruber approached Cleveland, introduced himself, and explained that his agency is nonpartisan and follows state energy policies that are enacted by the legislature.

Read more here: http://projects.newsobserver.com/under_the_dome/house_bill_would_muffle_nc_public_staff#storylink=cpy

How is this possibly constitutional. The job of this agency of course is to offer policy opinions I guess they just won't be able to do so if they go against what ALEC and polluters want.

3/21/2013 9:49:55 AM

The people voted to empower Pat McCrory with all the Art Pope and Duke Energy strings that comes with. Kicking out oversight personnel with Senate Bill 10, approving fracking for the triangle, and stuff like this banning non-ALEC approved public policy suggestions should sadly come as no surprise.

3/21/2013 2:21:45 PM

^Well stated

3/21/2013 2:42:28 PM

But as long as they provide bread and circuses and only target largely democratically leaning areas, then they won't be held accountable nor voted out of office.

3/21/2013 2:59:46 PM

^Well lets face it, with redistricting, they're not getting kick out of office this decade, regardless of how they behave. The GOP might lose their super majority at some point, but the Governor's seat being a statewide seat that is immune to redistricting is the only seat that is really in question, and that's not until 2016.

3/21/2013 3:13:36 PM

Kids in the candy store....

3/21/2013 4:24:42 PM

Quote :

" The GOP might lose their super majority at some point, but the Governor's seat being a statewide seat that is immune to redistricting is the only seat that is really in question, and that's not until 2016."

Does NC not have any way to recall elected officials?

3/21/2013 4:47:49 PM

yes

3/21/2013 6:24:09 PM