As a lawmaker, former Rep. Bobby Payne sponsored legislation with bearings on the Public Service Commission ( PSC ). Now he’ll experience firsthand the effects of the changes he backed.

Gov. Ron DeSantis just named Payne and Ana Ortega , a chief policy adviser to PSC Chair Mike La Rosa , to serve on the panel beside him.

Both appointments are subject to Senate confirmation.

Payne, a former Seminole Electric Cooperative executive who now owns and operates an eponymous consulting firm in Palatka, served in the House from 2016 to 2024, when fellow Republican Judson Sapp succeeded him.

During his time in office, he successfully carried multiple PSC-focused bills, including:

— HB 1645 (2024), a wide-ranging energy package that required public utilities to notify the P

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