Several environmental activists were in front of the Mecklenburg County Government Center Thursday to speak out onSenate Bill 10. The legislation would fire all current members of many regulatory boards – including the Utilities Commission – and give the governor and lawmakers the power to appoint new members. Gerrick Brenner of Progress North Carolina calls the bill a power grab.
"Under this bill, the governor would appoint every member of a new Utilities Commission, which would then regulate his former employer," Brenner says. "That is a glaring conflict of interest, which would impact families across the state."
The legislation has already passed the Senate and now sits in the House Committee on Commerce and Job Development. Supporters of the bill say it would make the state more efficient by eliminating some boards and in some cases reducing the number of members.