Colette Honorable Resigns From PSC, Beebe To Appoint Replacement (UPDATED)

Arkansas Public Service Commission chair Colette Honorable has officially resigned from her post and will be sworn in as early as this afternoon to her new role on powerful Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC).

Honorable was approved by the U.S. Senate before Christmas for the FERC position.

“I am honored to have the opportunity to serve as Commissioner at the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission,” Honorable said. “I’m grateful to President Barack Obama for the nomination and to the U.S. Senate for a swift confirmation. I’m also grateful to Senators Mark Pryor and John Boozman for their incredible support and efforts to move the nomination so quickly, and in their strong bipartisan tradition.

“I’d like to express my appreciation to Senate Energy and Natural Resources Chairman Mary Landrieu and Ranking Member Lisa Murkowski for their strong leadership and support. I’d be remiss if I didn’t thank Governor Mike Beebe for his confidence and support, as well as my colleagues at the Arkansas Public Service Commission and the Governor’s Office who are family to me.

“As this chapter of Arkansas public service draws to a close, I look forward to working with my new colleagues at the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. Chairman Cheryl LaFleur, Commissioners Philip Moeller, Tony Clark and Norman Bay have been so gracious in welcoming me to FERC. I look forward to transitioning to FERC the week of January 12, 2015.”

Honorable’s resignation from the PSC will allow Gov. Mike Beebe to appoint a replacement for Honorable on the state regulatory panel.

Her term on the Arkansas PSC is through January 2017, so her successor would serve for the next two years conceivably.

Speculation has centered that Beebe deputy chief of staff Lamar Davis is the prime candidate for the appointment. Beebe’s office has previously said they are working through details related to Honorable’s transition before any announcement will be made.

A spokesman for Beebe said that the governor will announce the appointment on Tuesday (Jan. 6).

UPDATE: On Tuesday (Jan. 7), Gov. Mike Beebe named Lamar Davis of Little Rock to the Arkansas Public Service Commission, as rumored. The appointment fills the vacancy created by the resignation of PSC Chair Colette Honorable, who has been confirmed by the U.S. Senate as a member of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.

Davis’s term will expire January 14, 2017.

Davis, 43, has served as Beebe’s Deputy Chief of Staff throughout both gubernatorial terms. Prior to that, he spent five years as a consumer-protection attorney at the Arkansas Attorney General’s Office.

Beebe said that while it is his prerogative to determine the chairmanship of the PSC, he would defer to Gov.-elect Asa Hutchinson to make that decision. Hutchinson will be sworn in next week.