FAQs about MCV's Public Service Commission Lawsuit

What is the PSC?

Public Service Commissioners may be the most consequential elected officials you’ve never never heard of. This five-member elected Commission is tasked with regulating the monopoly utilities that deliver electricity, gas and other services to Montanans. It has a major influence on Montana’s energy policy, and the decisions made by PSC have significant impacts on every business and home in the state.

Why is MCV suing?

On April 26, 2023, Governor Greg Gianforte signed into law Senate Bill 109 which put in place a new PSC map for the upcoming election. The new map does away with decades of precedent determining Montana’s PSC districts, and instead divides communities without any explanation for how the configuration represents voters’ interests. The map splits every major municipality in the state other than Butte, splits 14 counties, and does away with the traditional redistricting goal of preserving communities of interest – effectively guaranteeing noncompetitive elections.

Why does this matter?

Noncompetitive elections mean that politicians are far more likely to get re-elected and far less likely to listen to their constituents. For powerful positions like PSC Commissioners, who just gave Northwestern the green light to increase electric rates by 28%, that is a huge problem. What incentive do they have to listen to Montanans instead of the lobbyists and campaign donors at the utilities? Very little.

What’s the background?

Previous PSC maps preserved counties and communities of interest, however, the gerrymandered map created by SB 109 not only divides almost all of Montana’s counties but also six of the state’s seven major municipalities (Billings, Bozeman, Missoula, Great Falls, Helena, and Kalispell) in an effort to dilute the voices of Montanans who live in these communities. It makes no effort to preserve communities of interest, breaking the rules to silence thousands of Montanans and take away their right to representation. The map drawn by SB 109 also guarantees a single party will continue to hold all five PSC seats.

How can you help?

Help us fight for democracy by protecting free and fair elections. Let’s make sure that elected officials are accountable to voters, not special interests. Please donate via the link HERE. Help raise awareness about the importance of the PSC by talking to friends and family or sharing on social media about what the PSC does and why we need competitive elections. If you’d like to do more and write a Letter to the Editor of your local paper about this issue, reach out to mcv@mtvoters.org and we’d be happy to help.

You can also read our press release HERE for more information.

Want to go deeper?

In February, MCV hosted a webinar with special guests Governor Brian Schweitzer, former PSC Commissioner Tom Schneider, and Constance Van Kley of Upper Seven Law. Watch the recording below or read about the event HERE.