When They Kick at Your Front Door, How're You Gonna Come

We all saw this coming:

Gov. Martin O’Malley is ready to fire the Public Service Commission. And if he doesn’t, the legislature is ready to dilute the power of its chairman.

The troubled PSC, which dominated politics in 2006, promises to be a focal point of this year’s General Assembly session.

O’Malley administration officials are prepared to replace all five commissioners or fire Chairman Kenneth D. Schisler, an Ehrlich administration appointee who has borne the brunt of criticism over a recent massive hike in electricity rate hikes.

And the General Assembly will consider a bill that will expand the five-member PSC to seven members.

The bill, to be introduced by Senate Finance Chairman Thomas McLain Middleton, also would let the PSC choose its own chairman, which would effectively end Schisler’s chairmanship.

Now if the General Assembly would reconsider its misguided attempt at deregulating electric utilities, we might actually get somewhere.