Utilities: Rates, Service, Burdens Tax, Amended See #304

UTILITIES: RATES, SERVICE, BURDENS TAX. INITIATIVE CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT. Private utility company rates are returned to November 1, 1981 rates. Increases collected since that date shall be credited to consumer bills. Private and public utilities are prohibited from turning off gas, electricity, or water for occupied private dwellings without specified proceedings. Future rate increases granted by public utilities commission are limited to annual increases at not exceeding rate established by two-thirds vote of legislature. Emergency rate increases may be granted with approval by two-thirds of commission and legislature. Legislature may establish utilities burdens tax covering fiscal burdens imposed by this measure. Summary of estimate by Legislative Analyst and Director of Finance of fiscal impact on state and local governments: The adoption of this measure could substantially reduce the income of utility companies. While such reduction would result in substantial savings in state and local government utility costs, it would also result in a reduction in tax revenue that would otherwise have been payable by the utilities. This measure could result in state and local administrative costs of several millions of dollars per year to provide judicial review of utility service terminations.