BILL NUMBER:  SB 48
  VETOED	DATE: 10/09/2015




To the Members of the California State Senate:
I am returning Senate Bill 18, Senate Bill 48 and Assembly Bill 825
without my signature.¦
These bills include various provisions to increase transparency and
accessibility to the Public Utilities Commission. I support the
intent of these bills and many of their proposed reforms, however
some additional work is needed to ensure that they achieve their
intended purposes and can be effectively implemented.
Allowing Bagley-Keene and Public Records Act lawsuits to be brought
against the Commission by any interested party in Superior Court,
rather than exclusively in the Courts of Appeal and the California
Supreme Court, will only result in increased litigation and likely
delay Commision decision-making. It will not improve public access to
critical information about the actions of regulated entities.
Amending Section 583 of the Public Utilities Code to require more
information to be publicy available is a much better way to ensure
that the public is provided with this information.
Moreover, the Commission needs sufficient funds to fully accomplish
some of these reforms, such as holding more public meetings outside
of San Francisco, shortening the timeframe for concluding formal
ratesetting and quasi-legislative proceedings and expanding the scope
of the information required to be posted on the CPUC's web site. I
am directing the Commission to work with the Legislature through the
budget process to ensure the necessary funds are dedicated to
accomplish these needed reforms.
Sincerely,



Edmund G. Brown Jr.