A state House panel passed a measure Tuesday that sets requirements for who can be a member of the Arizona Corporation Commission.
House Bill 2536 would require candidates to be 30 years old and have been a resident in the state for at least two years, with five years of experience in five areas such as accounting or finance.
There are concerns the bill will impact the commission's ability to rule on clean energy. Sandy Bahr is the director for the Sierra Club's Grand Canyon chapter and argues the restrictions will have environmental consequences.
"We don't require legislators to have any qualification. And you all deal with a broad range of really important issues. You don't have to have a background in education, environment, any of those things," Bahr said.
Rep. Andrés Cano says the measure is overly restrictive in its requirements, and voters' choice should be expanded.
