Opinion ID: 1897396
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: content-based restrictions on core speech

Text: [¶ 18] Section 7 of the Commission Rule provides: The Commission may require that electric and transmission and distribution utilities disseminate information produced as part of the Commission's consumer education program. Information required to be disseminated by the utility may include correction of any utility-sponsored education activity to the extent such correction is required by the Commission as a result of an investigation, undertaken pursuant to section 6(C). [11] Requiring a T & D facility to include the Commission's consumer education materials with its own education materials is a content-based restriction on speech. Requiring a T & D facility to correct the content of its speech likewise is a contentbased restriction on speech. As the Supreme Court has explained, mandating speech that a speaker otherwise would not make necessarily alters the content of the speaker's speech. See Riley v. National Fed'n of the Blind of N.C., Inc., 487 U.S. 781, 795, 108 S.Ct. 2667, 101 L.Ed.2d 669 (1988). Content-based restrictions on core speech, however, may be constitutional if the restrictions are demonstrated to be narrowly tailored to serve a compelling state interest. See R.A.V., 505 U.S. at 395-96, 112 S.Ct. 2538; Hart v. Secretary of State, 1998 ME 189, ¶ 9, 715 A.2d 165, 167-68, cert. denied, sub nom. Hart v. Gwadosky, ___ U.S. ___, 119 S.Ct. 1028, 143 L.Ed.2d 38, 67 USLW 3524 (U.S.Me. Feb.22, 1999) (No. 98-676).
[¶ 19] Relying on the United States Supreme Court decision in Pacific Gas and Electric Co. v. PUC , CMP contends that requiring T & D facilities to include Commission educational materials with the materials they disseminate to their customers is an unconstitutional content-based restriction on non-commercial core speech. We disagree. [¶ 20] In Pacific Gas, the Supreme Court struck down a California Utility Commission requirement that a privately owned utility include in its billing envelopes leaflets designed by a third party, outlining positions with which the utility disagreed. See 475 U.S. at 5-7, 106 S.Ct. 903. The Supreme Court noted that the California Commission's interest in fair and effective utility regulation may be a compelling interest, but concluded that the California Commission's inclusion requirement was not narrowly tailored to achieve the Commission interests. See id. at 19-20, 106 S.Ct. 903. [¶ 21] Several significant differences between Pacific Gas and the facts of this case, however, lead us to conclude that the requirements of the Commission Rule are narrowly tailored to serve the Commission's compelling interest. Like the California Commission in Pacific Gas, the Commission has a compelling interest in ensuring that consumers get information about deregulation of the electricity generation industry and retail access that is objective, accurate, and comprehensive given the potential for a high degree of customer confusion that can result from retail competition. Unlike the materials at issue in Pacific Gas, however, the subject matter of the material T & D facilities are forced to include within its billing envelopes is narrowly prescribed. In Pacific Gas, the utility was required to disseminate highly-opinionated political editorials of third parties that the utility considered to be directly contrary to its interests. See id. at 5-7, 106 S.Ct. 903. The materials that a T & D facility would be forced to include in its billing envelopes would be objective descriptions of the deregulation of the electricity generation industry and the retail access choices of consumers. The Commission stated, in support of its adoption of the Rule, We do not expect that there will be major differences of opinion between the Commission and utilities about the kind of fact-based information that is at issue here. Furthermore, the materials will be generated by the body with the authority to regulate utilities and with the legislative mandate to develop educational program regarding deregulation, not independent third parties. Finally, the alternative of directly mailing its education materials to consumers would hinder the Commission's achievement of its interests, because it would increase the possibility of consumers receiving differing information from different sources. Thus, the Commission Rule's inclusion requirement is narrowly tailored to serve the Commission's compelling interest.
[¶ 22] We have concluded that section 6(B)'s requirement that T & D facilities submit their educational materials to the Commission prior to dissemination is invalid. Section 6(C) of the Commission Rule, however, permits the Commission to hold a public hearing after dissemination and to order the T & D facility to correct materials the Commission finds to be misleading, deceptive, or inaccurate. Section 7 reaffirms that a T & D facility must disseminate the corrected materials to their consumers. CMP contends that these correction requirements unconstitutionally restrict the free speech rights of T & D facilities. We are unpersuaded by that contention. [¶ 23] The correction requirements of section 6(C) remedy harm, rather than suppress speech, and thus avoid the constitutional infirmities of the prior restraint set out in section 6(B). Furthermore, the Commission has a compelling interest in work[ing] with [T & D facilities] to ensure consumers get information that is objective, accurate, and consistent with [the Commission's consumer education] program messages[,] given the potential for a high degree of customer confusion that can result from retail competition[.] See Pacific Gas, 475 U.S. at 19, 106 S.Ct. 903. The requirement that the T & D facility correct any information that is misleading, inaccurate, or deceptive is narrowly tailored to serve this interest. This requirement is narrowly focused only on materials that are misleading or deceptive. Although the Commission could disseminate its own materials to clarify misleading, inaccurate, or deceptive statements by a T & D facility as the transition to deregulation occurs, such action could increase consumer confusion as the consumers receive different messages from different sources. Because the requirement that a T & D facility correct misleading, inaccurate, or deceptive materials after those materials have been disseminated serves to remedy harm, rather than suppress speech, in a manner that is narrowly tailored to achieve a compelling government interest, the requirement is constitutional.