Early in my tenure in the House of Delegates, I received a call from a constituent who was also a high school classmate of mine.
She was upset about a court ruling on her recent divorce. If memory serves, it also had to do with child custody and money.
My classmate was quite emotional about the situation and asked me to call the judge in order to get him to change his decision.
I remember that her situation and explanation were quite compelling and that I was sympathetic to her plight.
BUT.
As I explained back to her, I was in the legislative branch and it would be highly inappropriate of me to contact the judge on her behalf about her case.
This upset her and she pressed me, “You mean you can, but you won’t!”
I explained that my role in government is to make the laws, not interpret or carry them out. Those were the roles of the judicial and executive branches.
“But you elect the judges! You can tell them what to do!”
True. I could call a judge and relay a constituent’s concerns.
But it would be wrong to do so.
I tried to explain the appellate process to my classmate and constituent. She was having none of that and hung up the phone angrily.
That story has been on my mind quite a bit during the first half of the State Corporation Commission’s review period of the pending Dominion/Next Era merger that is before them.
Our system of government in Virginia is a good one with appropriate levels of checks and balances throughout that, in the end, produces overall excellent results.
It might take more time than some would prefer, but we get “it” right. And there always plenty of “its” to come along to refine our living peaceably among each other.
Regarding the SCC’s consideration of the Dominion/Next Era merger, it has been good to see bipartisan agreement on Virginia’s decision making process.
Former and long time SCC judge, Mark Christie who has worked for Republicans in the past, wrote on LinkedIn about Senate Majority Leader Scott Surovell’s recent op-ed in the Richmond Times-Dispatch. He said:
Major kudos to him for emphasizing that the State Corporation Commission must follow a specific statute -- Va. Code Section 56-90 -- and that the legal standard the SCC must follow is really about just one question: whether "adequate service to the public at just and reasonable rates will be impaired." Period.
Thank you Sen. Surovell for bringing this needed focus to a public debate that has seen its fair share of political posturing. And I have every expectation that this Commission -- three very smart and dedicated public servants -- will apply the law to the facts in the record and make a good-faith decision based on the statute and the record.
And when they do, that decision should be respected.
That’s the SCC Strike Zone on the Dominion/Next Era merger, folks.
It comes down to “just one question.”
Rates. Both “just and reasonable.”
That’s the role of the SCC.
It’s a good one.
To echo Judge Christie about the pending decision of the SCC
that decision should be respected.
Lyrics below from Metallica’s Nothing Else Matters help here:
Nothing Else Matters - Lyrics
So close, no matter how far
Couldn’t be much more from the heart
Forever trusting who we are
And nothing else matters
Never opened myself this way
Life is ours, we live it our way
All these words, I don’t just say
And nothing else matters
Trust I seek and I find in you
Every day for us something new
Open mind for a different view
And nothing else matters
Never cared for what they do
Never cared for what they know
But I know
So close, no matter how far
It couldn’t be much more from the heart
Forever trusting who we are
And nothing else matters
Never cared for what they do
Never cared for what they know
But I know
I never opened myself this way
Life is ours, we live it our way
All these words, I don’t just say
And nothing else matters
Trust I seek and I find in you
Every day for us something new
Open mind for a different view
And nothing else matters
Never cared for what they say
Never cared for games they play
Never cared for what they do
Never cared for what they know
And I know, yeah, yeah
So close, no matter how far
Couldn’t be much more from the heart
Forever trusting who we are
No, nothing else matters