A bill passed by the Pennsylvania state senate with only Republican support has bipartisan critics saying it's designed to raise consumer prices and turn public water utilities operating in the state into private companies, the Associated Press reports.
Passed Tuesday by the gerrymandered-assisted GOP-dominated state senate, the bill would water utilities–regardless of whether they are publicly or privately owned–to meet significantly increased regulations. If public utilities cannot meet the new requirements, they will be forced to raise rates or sell their operations to for-profit companies which will presumably make the upgrades without being granted amnesty by their Republican lackeys.
The bill was backed by two major for-profit water companies in the state, Aqua America and Pennsylvania American Water, which would benefit from having multiple smaller providers being unable to comply with the Republican-written regulations.