Sen. Berthel Stands Up for Utility Customers, Walks Out on Vote to Reappoint PURA Chair Gillett

State Sen. Eric Berthel (R-Watertown), ranking member of the Executive & Legislative Nominations Committee, today stood in solidarity with struggling electric utility customers by joining Senate Republicans in walking out of the Senate chamber during a vote on a resolution to reappoint Public Utilities Regulatory Authority (PURA) Chair Marissa Gillett to another four-year term. This move comes amid ongoing controversy surrounding her reappointment by Gov. Ned Lamont.

“I proudly walked out of the Senate chamber to send the message that I will not be complicit in any way with what’s happened today. Today’s Senate vote was the culmination of months of behind-the-scenes Democrat political maneuvering. We heard from the Governor himself that an ‘arrangement’ had to have been made to advance the Chair through the nomination process and secure Democrat holdouts. This is not how things should work. What is the ‘arrangement’ for the thousands of families and seniors struggling to pay their electric bills? The fact remains that they are still paying the tab while political insiders get their way.

“I am here for the people who elected me to represent this district, and I don’t want my constituents to be complicit in the sham vote that happened today,” said Sen. Berthel.

Gillett, whose six years as the utility watchdog have been plagued by staggering rate increases, struggled when pressed by Senate Minority Leader Stephen Harding (R-Brookfield) before the Executive & Legislative Nominations Committee in February to articulate her position on the dubious “Public Benefits” charges on electric bills along with the extent of her communications with the Governor’s office during the nomination process.

On the contrary, Sen. Berthel, along with Senate Republicans, have been clear on their plan (S.B. 647) to reduce energy bills in Connecticut that includes removing the “Public Benefits” charge. Legislative majority Democrats declined to advance the measure beyond a public hearing for consideration by the House and Senate.