TOPEKA, KS – At Thursday’s Commission Meeting, Commissioner Jay Scott Emler was elected to serve as Chairman of the Commission. The nomination was made by current Chair Shari Feist Albrecht and seconded by Commissioner Pat Apple.
Emler was first appointed to the Commission by Governor Sam Brownback on January 8, 2014 and confirmed by the Kansas Senate on January 16, 2014. He was confirmed for a four year term on May 21, 2015.
Prior to the KCC, Emler served in the Kansas Senate where he was elected Senate Majority Leader. He represented the 35th District in central Kansas for 13 years. Emler also served as Chairman of both Ways and Means and Utilities committees. Prior to the Senate, he was Vice President and General Counsel for Kansas Cellular. He is the past national Chairman of the Council on State Governments.
Emler is a graduate of Bethany College, Lindsborg, where he earned a bachelor’s degree and teaching certificate. He earned his law degree from the University of Denver, College of Law.
In addition, Emler holds a master’s degree in security studies from the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, California.
Commissioners are appointed by the Governor and serve staggered four-year terms. State law provides that no more than two of the three commissioners may belong to the same political party. The Commission acts as an independent regulatory agency with authority to render judgments and decisions on regulated utilities. Nominations are subject to approval by the Kansas Senate. Emler’s term expires March 15, 2019.
The KCC regulates the state’s electric, natural gas, telecommunications, oil and gas and transportation industries with the responsibility of ensuring safe, adequate, and reliable services at reasonable rates for the citizens of Kansas.