TALLAHASSEE, Florida — Gov. Ron DeSantis on Wednesday appointed former Republican state Rep. Bobby Payne of Palatka and Ana Ortega to the Public Service Commission.
Payne and Ortega, an aide to PSC Commissioner Mike LaRosa, were among six finalists that had been given to the governor for the powerful regulatory board responsible for approving utility rate hikes in the state.
Background: Payne, a former Seminole Electric Cooperative executive who shepherded a comprehensive energy bill backed by DeSantis through the Legislature in 2024, and Ortega were the only applicants to receive unanimous backing from the nominating council that screens applicants.
Ortega had previously been nominated back in 2021. But DeSantis instead chose Gabriella Passidomo Smith for the vacant seat. Passidomo Smith is the daughter of former state Senate President Kathleen Passidomo.
