Date: Fri 10-Apr-1998

Publication: Bee

Author: CURT

Quick Words:

Electric-choice-state-AP

Full Text:

Electric Choice Bill Being Revised, Committee Approves It

By Diane Scarponi

Associated Press

HARTFORD (AP) -- Rank-and-file legislators this week had their chance for an

in-depth discussion about the electric deregulation bill, in anticipation of a

possible vote in the House next week.

A revised copy of the bill, which exceeds 150 pages, would offer people a

choice of electric companies, and supporters expect the competition for

customers will drive electricity prices down.

Legislative leaders have been changing some details of the bill since the

first week of the legislative session in February, and they will likely

continue to tweak provisions right up until the vote.

On Monday, the Appropriations Committee voted 25-6 to move the bill to the

House.

Speaker Thomas Ritter, D-Hartford, has said he wants to vote on the bill in

mid-April, to give lawmakers time to work on the budget and other bills.

Ritter also has said the Legislature will not do the bill this year if

discussions drag on.

"I think Wednesday will tell us a lot about what people are thinking," said

Larry Perosino, a spokesman for the House Democrats.

Leaders in the House and Senate and the committees have been working on the

bill intensely behind the scenes, since time is short and the bill is very

complicated. They have planned to bring the final bill out a week before the

vote, so all lawmakers have time to digest the bill and get questions

answered.

Several members of Appropriations, some of whom voted against the bill Monday,

spoke out against this process.

"This thing's a freight train. It's a juggernaut. And when you have a freight

train, you better watch the citizens' pockets," Rep. Terry Backer,

D-Stratford, said after the meeting. "My concern is that the citizens get the

biggest break they can get."

The bill guarantees at least a 10 percent savings off electric rates starting

in the year 2000 and running until the end of 2003.

But Backer and other critics of the bill have expressed concern about what

would happen to electric rates under a free market, and how that would affect

the state's finances and the taxes it collects.

Supporters of the bill point out that Connecticut's electric rates already are

among the highest in the country. The bill also is expected to attract new

power plants to the state, to end the dependence on nuclear power.