This is an opinion cartoon.

Kay Ivey will appoint Twinkle Cavanaugh’s replacement on the Alabama’s Public Service Commission, but make no mistake: Alabama Power will be in on the pickin’.

If it seems like every PSC commissioner bows down to Alabama Power, it’s because almost all of the time, they do. Like they’re beholden or something.

Here’s a timeless 2022 column from John Archibald that fits the bill: Oh, Lord, tell us who the Alabama PSC worships most

Archibald writes: “You’d think, if you just watched this PSC from time to time, and heard the prayers uttered there in the past, that it worships the Christian God – albeit a very narrow version of that God.

“But I don’t buy it. I think the PSC worships another deity: Alabama Power Co.

“The PSC only spent about four minutes talking to God and the birth of his son. It wasn’t long. But it spent no time at all talking about the most significant regulatory duty that came before it that day: Alabama Power’s latest rate hike.

“It was Alabama Power’s third rate hike of the year, the second in as many months, and it passed without discussion or debate or even the sign of the cross.”

Read every word of Archibald’s column here.

From Maggie Kates’ news story about the PSC president’s resignation and plans:

“Twinkle Cavanaugh, the president of Alabama’s Public Service Commission, is resigning to take a role in the federal government under President Donald Trump.

“The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced Tuesday that Cavanaugh would become the state director for rural development in Alabama. Her appointment was announced along with several other positions in the department, which oversees food and farming throughout the country.

“Cavanaugh was first elected to the public service commission in 2010 and became president of the commission in 2012. She was re-elected last November.

“The commission is a three-member body tasked with regulating utilities in the state, including electrical utilities. The commission — and Cavanaugh — have come under scrutiny from the public for high bills.”

“Gina Maiola, a spokesperson for Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey, told AL.com she anticipates Ivey will appoint a replacement for Cavanaugh “in the coming days.”

Read all of Kates’ report here.

The Alabama Public Service Commission is supposed to be the big watchdog on the porch of the people, not the whiny mini chihuahua in the pocket of Alabama’s biggest utility companies.

Only one PSC commissioner in my memory – Terry Dunn, a Republican – had the wild idea of asking for a formal review of the rate structure of Alabama’s largest utility companies. Dunn was suddenly as popular as a wet dog at a wedding. Dunn was done. That was in 2013.

Twinkle, in league with her Alabama Power sycophants in sludge, has been like a fodder figure to me over the years. Thanks for your service.

Shout out to my colleague John Hammontree for inspiring today’s cartoon with this prompt: “Waiting for the black coal smoke to come from the Alabama Power HQ to announce the new Public Service Commissioner.”

JD Crowe is the cartoonist for Alabama Media Group andAL.com. He won the RFK Human Rights Award for Editorial Cartoons in 2020. In 2018, he was awarded the Rex Babin Memorial Award for local and state cartoons by the Association of American Editorial Cartoonists. Follow JD on Facebook, X Twitter @Crowejam and Instagram @JDCrowepix. Give him a holler @[email protected].