 Seal of the Corporation Commission | |
 Partisan makeup of the Corporation Commission | |
| Commission overview | |
|---|---|
| Formed | 1912 |
| Type | Public utilities commission |
| Jurisdiction | Government of Arizona |
| Headquarters | Phoenix |
| Employees | 223 |
| Annual budget | $27,993,000 |
| Commission executives |
|
| Website | www |
The Arizona Corporation Commission is the Public Utilities Commission of the State of Arizona, established by Article 15 of the Arizona Constitution. Arizona is one of only fourteen states with elected commissioners.[1] The Arizona Constitution explicitly calls for an elected commission, as opposed to a governor-appointed commission, which is the standard in most states,[2] because its drafters feared that governors would appoint industry-friendly officials.[3] They are directly elected statewide and serve staggered four-year terms. Due to its separation from the executive branch, the commission is often referred to as the "fourth branch of government."[4][5][6] The characterization of the Commission as the "fourth branch of government" is contradicted, however, by Article III of the Arizona Constitution, which provides that "[t]he powers of the government of the state of Arizona shall be divided into three separate departments, the legislative, the executive, and the judicial".[7]
The commission has five members. As of January 2023[update], the commissioners are Lea Márquez Peterson, Nick Myers, Jim O'Connor, Kevin Thompson, and Anna Tovar.[8]
- ^ "National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners". www.naruc.gov. Retrieved January 10, 2016.
- ^ "Background and Organization". Arizona Corporation Commission. May 2, 2008. Archived from the original on May 2, 2008. Retrieved October 27, 2020.
- ^ McClory, Toni; McClory, Thomas (December 11, 2010). "Arizona's Executive Branch" (PDF). Toni McClory. Archived (PDF) from the original on October 27, 2020. Retrieved October 27, 2020.
- ^ "Arizona Corporation Commission's Ethics Committee Has Ethical Issues". Arizona Daily Independent. September 5, 2017. Retrieved January 22, 2020.
- ^ Richardson, Emily (October 11, 2018). "Corporation Commission candidates discuss what they would bring to the office". chamberbusinessnews.com. Retrieved January 22, 2020.
- ^ "Arizona Corporation Commission v. Superior Court". law.justia.com. Retrieved January 22, 2020.
- ^ Ariz. Const. Art. III; see also, Johnson Utilities, LLC v. Arizona Corporation Commission, 468 P.3d 1176, 1195 (Ariz. 2020) (Bollick, J., concurring and dissenting).
- ^ "Arizona Corporation Commission". Retrieved January 3, 2023.