Democratic Congressional Candidate Jamee Decio is criticizing incumbent Republican Rudy Yakym for being silent after NIPSCO’s recent natural gas rate hike.
NIPSCO increased gas rates 16% this winter compared to last winter, and that followed a 19% increase the year before.
The for-profit utility enjoys a monopoly under Indiana statute and can raise rates if they are approved by the Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission. Decio on Thursday released a statement calling Yakym “Rubber Stamp” Rudy, accusing him of doing nothing about the increases.
Decio said she realizes the IURC is a state, rather than a federal, agency. And she said Yakym is not a member of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform. But she said he can still ask someone on that committee to study the matter.
”Because it is a monopoly, Congress can look into it," Decio says. "If I was the congressperson, I would inquire in that committee, the oversight committee, and say, can we have a hearing on this and figure out why it’s 16% and there’s no recourse. The state rubber-stamped it.”
Yakym’s campaign did not reply to our interview request.
