@NCCapitol
Cooper Utility Commission appointments clear legislature easily
After appointments sat for months, House and Senate confirm them in landslide votes.
The General Assembly easily confirmed a trio of appointments to the North Carolina Utilities Commission on Thursday, addressing a lingering issue as the House and the Senate prepared to take a break from the legislative session.
Sen. Floyd McKissick, D-Durham, Kimberly Duffley, a senior staff attorney for the commission, and Jeff Hughes, a University of North Carolina School of Government professor who had a hand in developing Poland's utility regulations, all cleared the House and the Senate.
Gov. Roy Cooper had complained earlier this month that his appointments, which require confirmation, had been delayed.
The commission approves utility rate increases and has a number of requests pending or set to come before the body early next year.
