STILLWATER, Okla. — Incumbent Corporation Commissioner Bob Anthony will face fellow Republican Brooks Mitchell in Tuesday’s primary race for a seat on the Corporation Commission.

The purpose of the Corporation Commission is to regulate and supervise the exploration and production of oil and gas, the storage and dispensing of petroleum based fuels, and the operation of intrastate transportation, and to establish rates and services of public utilities.

The League of Women Voters collected Mitchell and Anthony’s responses to several questions about their campaigns. Below are their answers.



How does your education, professional and community experience prepare you to be a good Corporation Commissioner?

Anthony: My commitment to honesty, integrity, openness, and fairness is demonstrated by my record as a Corporation Commissioner. Business education, business experience, military service, degrees in finance, economics and administration are all highly beneficial to doing the work of a commissioner, especially when overseeing agency performance and hearing expert testimony in our commission courtrooms. Through extensive community involvement and as former president of C. R. Anthony stores when it was the largest privately-owned company headquartered in Oklahoma, I am familiar with the entire state of Oklahoma. I will continue to fearlessly perform my constitutional duties as commissioner in the same manner that allowed me to receive both the FBI’s highest civilian award for fighting public corruption and a national award for “tireless efforts on behalf of Oklahoma consumers.”

Mitchell: It is vital that a Corporation Commissioner be able to work with the Legislature, other agencies, the citizens of Oklahoma and the other two Commissioners. My record proves I can do that. One example is that before I came to the Commission the agency had a difficult time getting needed changes made to their statutes. During the eight years that I worked with the Legislature not one State Senator voted against a Commission sponsored bill and all but two bills received at least 95 of the possible 101 votes in the House. I negotiated a new maintenance agreement for our fleet vehicles, which saved our agency $300K annually. I worked with consumers and utility companies so that issues were resolved to the satisfaction of both parties without having to go to a hearing. I started an outreach program so out of state royalty owners could become educated on their rights.



How should state government interact with the federal government on energy, environmental and transportation issues?

Mitchell: In my opinion, Oklahoma has the best regulatory program for Oil and Gas in the nation. It is important that there are strong voices at the State level to respond to inaccurate statements made by the EPA.

Anthony: The Federal government continues to impose itself into the jurisdiction of state regulators, including the Corporation Commission. The EPA’s pending requirement of multi-billion dollar scrubbers for our electric generation plants could cause electricity rates to skyrocket and cost Oklahoma jobs. Likewise, federal attempts to restrict the use of proven drilling technologies threaten our country’s recent progress toward greater energy independence. EPA and other federal regulation of oil and gas drilling operations should not be allowed to replace state regulation. Oklahoma needs a fighter to stand up for consumers at the Corporation Commission and beyond. At the same time, our agency does properly administer several programs in compliance with federal legal standards, and Oklahoma even shares its expertise to help certain federal agencies that have less environmental experience than we do.



What do you regard as the most pressing issues that will come before the commission in the next few years? How would you, if elected handle these issues?

Anthony: The Commission must always deserve of the public trust by avoiding conflicts of interest and by making decisions in the courtroom based on fairness and professionalism instead of politics and special deals. I have a proven record of fighting public corruption as well as providing public service that supports openness and ethical behavior in government and opposes sweetheart deals for special interests. Questions with potentially multi-million dollar impacts on consumers must be decided based on law and the public interest. We must work to keep a vibrant energy industry in Oklahoma to serve our nation with secure energy supplies while protecting the environment.

Mitchell: The continued attack by the EPA on our oil and gas industry will be one very important issue. It is likely that a new electric generation facility will also need to be built in the next few years. If elected I will stand up to the EPA and oppose all of the onerous regulations that they will want. In the case of a new generation facility, I believe that the cost to the rate payers should be fully justified.



How would you as commissioner protect needs of consumers in a time of increasing energy costs?

Mitchell: By making sure that the utility companies are entering into fuel contracts that give consumers the best price. I will also make sure that reliability of service does not deteriorate. All requests for rate increases will be thoroughly reviewed.

Anthony: The Oklahoma Constitution clearly spells out the role of the Corporation Commission – to set fair and reasonable rates and protect consumers from abuses. Consumers depend on their utility services to power the equipment they use in their jobs, schools, health care, and countless other needs. In modern times, having reliable service with the fewest possible outages is very important. The commission must make sure utilities earn enough to invest in their infrastructure so they can provide reliable service, while at the same time keeping the rates they charge customers as low as possible. Failing to strike the proper balance could result in outages or overcharges, both of which hurt consumers. I am very proud that a national group honored me for my "tireless efforts on behalf of Oklahoma consumers". My work at the commission has resulted in the largest refunds and rate reductions in state history. My record shows a commitment to the public interest, not the special interests.



How do you as a commissioner propose to protect the property rights of citizens in Oklahoma as it pertains to energy exploration and utility line land access?

Anthony: The Corporation Commission does not have jurisdiction over siting, condemnation, right-of-way, or granting easements for public utility transmission or telephone lines. However, regarding oil and gas drilling and production, the commission does have statutory responsibilities to protect property rights when deciding spacing and pooling applications as well as environmental complaints. In these matters the rights of citizens are best protected when the commission provides fair, honest, open hearings and makes decisions based on facts, evidence, the law and professionalism.

Mitchell: By making sure that oil companies and utilities comply with state statutes and with Commission rules. Proper notice must be given in all instances so the citizens can be heard.



Candidate websites:

Mitchell: friendsofbrooksmitchell.org

Anthony: www.bobanthony.com