UNTIMELY: The Public Service Commission denied multiple motions from Attorney General Tim Griffin, saying the AG missed key filing deadlines. Credit: Brian Chilson
Arkansas Attorney General Tim Griffin’s failure to adhere to filing deadlines has Summit Utilities one step closer to approval of a proposed settlement that would increase residential gas rates by more than 23% for more than half a million Arkansas homes and businesses.
That’s according to an order entered Tuesday by the Arkansas Public Service Commission, the state’s utility regulator. The commission said Griffin had missed its deadline to object to the proposed settlement, failed to identify anything objectionable in the settlement despite being given extra time to do so, and failed to establish good cause to delay proceedings any further.
He was also premature in requesting the commission reject the proposed settlement, commissioners said, since they had not yet held a hearing on it.
At first, Griffin applauded the settlement with Summit, which the gas company filed with the commission on Oct. 7. Then, after state legislators publicly criticized the settlement, Griffin suddenly changed his tune. On Oct. 10, he flip-flopped and sent a letter to the commission asking it to reject the settlement and order more negotiation.
Based on the failures outlined in Tuesday’s order, the commission denied Griffin’s motion to set new deadlines in the case, denied his motion to reject the settlement as premature and denied his motion to withdraw from the rate case. Commissioners further ruled that Griffin would not be permitted to cross-examine witnesses or submit testimony in opposition to the proposed settlement at a Wednesday hearing due to his failure to follow the commission’s prior instructions.
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After noting the parties, including Griffin, had submitted a “unanimous joint Agreement” on Oct. 7, the commission outlined Griffin’s procedural failures as the basis for rejecting his motion for new deadlines:
The AG now wishes to oppose the Agreement despite having missed the deadline to do so, and without identifying any specific issue he now finds objectionable in the Agreement. Moreover, the AG has failed to file any testimony in opposition to the Agreement. Because of the impending statutorily mandated deadline for the Commission to issue its final rate determination and the AG’s failure to identify good cause for the Commission to extend the procedural schedule, the AG’s Motion to Set New Deadlines is denied.
The commission was similarly unmoved by Griffin’s “request for the Commission to prematurely reject the Agreement, before conducting an evidentiary hearing and fully deliberating,” which they called “procedurally inappropriate and unprecedented.”
Finally, with respect to Griffin’s motion to withdraw from the rate case, the commission again said “the deadlines to file opposition to the settlement have passed and the AG failed to provide good cause to extend that deadline.” The order continued:
The AG has failed to identify a single issue in the Agreement to which he is opposed and failed to file any testimony in opposition to the Agreement. As the AG notes in his Motion, whether or not he is a signatory to the Agreement is irrelevant to the Commission’s power to review and approve, reject, or modify the proposed Agreement, nor does the AG’s continued participation (or not) in the Agreement alter the hearing procedures that have been agreed to and will remain in place when the hearing is continued.
The commission’s order went beyond denying all three of Griffin’s requests. After listing the witnesses required to attend today’s hearing, the commission ruled that Griffin “shall not be permitted to present an issues list, cross-examine any of these witnesses, or submit any testimony in opposition to the Agreement, given [his] failure to adhere to the procedural schedule in this Docket.”
Griffin said he respected the commission’s decision and would “continue working to ensure that Arkansas ratepayers are paying the lowest possible rates.” However, his office also said that Griffin would review the commission’s final order on the proposed settlement and, if he felt it prudent, appeal that decision to the Arkansas Court of Appeals.
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The commission resumed a hearing on the proposed settlement on Wednesday morning. Following public comment, they began with testimony from Summit CEO Kurt Adams. The hearing is scheduled to conclude today, regardless of how long it runs, Public Service Commission Chairman Doyle Webb said at the outset.
If approved by the commission, the new gas rates would go into effect for Arkansas customers on Nov. 25. If the commission does not rule on the settlement by that date, Summit can impose the 29.4% rate increase the company originally requested in January 2024.
Summit also has the option to delay the increase, which would push it out past wintertime and increased gas usage. Adams testified Wednesday morning that the company likely would not do that. He compared such a delay to his kids asking to put off doing homework.
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The background on all of this is somewhat convoluted. A more complete version of the timeline can be found in this post, but here is a condensed version:
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Summit Utilities announced in April 2021 it was purchasing CenterPoint Energy’s gas supply systems in Arkansas and Oklahoma for $2.15 billion. The sale officially closed in January 2022. In documents regarding the approval of this sale, Summit asserted they would charge rates similar to what CenterPoint charged and that their revenue, fixed charges and operating expenses would be similar to CenterPoint’s. Summit also agreed not to seek an increase in rates for at least 12 months and to file a request to increase rates — called a “rate case” — between 12 and 24 months from the time the purchase was approved.
Summit filed for a rate increase in January 2024, just inside that 12-to-24 month window. They sought a 29.4% increase in residential gas rates, which they said would increase the average Arkansas homeowner’s bill by about $18 per month. (Opponents noted this average increase reflected the average gas usage for a one-bedroom home and that a two- or three-bedroom home would see a much larger monthly increase.)
Griffin immediately chimed in. After noting it would ultimately be up to the commission whether to grant the requested increase, Griffin said he was “reviewing Summit’s filing to protect Arkansas ratepayers from excessive utility rates.”
Late last month, representatives of Summit entered into negotiations with the attorney general’s office, commission staff and groups representing other interested parties, such as hospitals and colleges. They reached an agreement earlier this month, setting the rate increase at 23.4% instead of the requested 29.4%. This negotiated rate, submitted to the commission for consideration, would increase the average residential customer’s bill by $15.43/month.
While Griffin praised what he called a solid compromise, some legislators saw it differently.
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At a Joint Budget Committee hearing two days later, during discussion of the commission’s proposed budget, Rep. Jeff Wardlaw (R-Hermitage) said some of his constituents had received letters from Summit saying the rate increase had been approved. Speaking to representatives of the Public Service Commission who were at the hearing, Wardlaw accused them of not holding Summit’s feet to the fire. “You guys are letting [Summit] run rampant,” he said.
Other legislators echoed Wardlaw’s concerns. Rep. Fran Cavenaugh (R-Walnut Ridge) accused commission spokesperson Danni Hoefer of “talking out of both sides of [her] mouth” by saying commission staff had approved the settlement but that the commission hadn’t. Rep. Brian Evans (R-Cabot) noted the intervenors in the rate case seemed to represent everyone but the residential customers, and he asked who represented them. The attorney general, Hoefer said.
A day after legislators raked the commission and the proposed rate increase over the coals, Griffin suddenly changed his tune on the settlement. He sent a letter to the commission, bragging about the reduction in the proposed increase that his office “obtained,” but asking the commission to nevertheless reject the settlement and order more negotiation. He followed this letter with a motion to reject the settlement or, in the alternative, a motion to allow his office to withdraw from the settlement proceedings and for the commission to set a new schedule for negotiations.
Ella McCarthy covers state politics and the state Supreme Court. Before joining the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, she covered Austin City Hall for the Austin American-Statesman, and before that, held a fellowship with ABC News in Washington, D.C., where she covered national politics. A graduate of the Missouri School of Journalism, her work has been recognized by the Hearst Foundation, the Missouri Press Association and LION Publishers in the LION local journalism awards. She contributed to the Statesman’s coverage of a two-city shooting rampage that won a national Edward R. Murrow Award for breaking news coverage.
KATV ABC 7 in Little Rock, Arkansas covers news, sports, weather and the local community in the city and the surrounding area, including Hot Springs, Conway, Pine Bluff, Jacksonville, Sherwood, Stuttgart, Benton, Bauxite, East End, Scott, Pinnacle, Maumelle, Gibson, Landmark and Hensley.
The Little Rock Marathon welcomes runners of all experience levels to run its course each year.
That was best exemplified when its winners crossed the finish line.
The marathon featured 1,427 entrants, ages 16 to 80, with race veterans and first-timers of all ages competing Sunday morning.
This was the 10th marathon for Benjamin Williams, a 42-year-old Baltimore resident originally from Australia. He hadn’t won prior Sunday but finished second in a marathon in Memphis in 2025 and was determined to finally get over the hump in Little Rock.
“It’s amazing,” Williams said. “I mean, it’s such a beautiful course, and it’s my first time in Arkansas. I love the city, and I’m just so excited to do it.
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“I was desperate to win this one. I went to the front in the first mile, and then I ran on my own basically the whole way.”
Williams held an advantage of nearly a minute on the next-closet runner through the first 7 1/2 miles. By the time he hit the half marathon point, 13.1 miles, his lead was just shy of four minutes thanks to a 5:41 pace.
Williams won the marathon with a chip time of 2:32:07. Tyreek Gilkey, 22, of Fort Smith came second with a 2:39:02 chip time. Alec Hewett, 33, of Colorado Springs, Colo., finished third with a chip time of 2:39:50.
“Little Rock is beautiful,” Williams said. “You know, I was focused on the race, but I’ve been able to see it the last few days, just walking around this beautiful city. The course is actually really hard. There’s a hill as you go up to Hillcrest, that neighborhood. That was a long, brutal hill. And then they get you with a little one just here at the end as well. So, yeah, it was a good course, but tough.”
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Williams made sure to mention just how far he’s come in his marathon running career after winning his first.
“This is my 10th,” Williams said. “So hopefully it’s by some other people. My first one took me four hours, and I’ve just slowly brought it down.”
Williams also won the 5K on Saturday with a chip time of 16:22.7.
As for the women’s race, it was first-timer Holly Moser, 25, who claimed first place. The Greeley, Colo., native who recently moved to Jacksonville finished seventh overall and first among female runners with a time of 2:53:23. She was second or third at each of the first five checkpoints before her 6:36 pace from Mile 21 to Mile 23 pushed her into first.
Moser, like most runners that compete in the Little Rock Marathon, highlighted the hills in the western portion of the course, particularly in the Hillcrest neighborhood, as a challenge.
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“You guys managed to find every single hill that exists in the city somehow,” Moser said with a laugh. “I’m not sure how you did it, but you did. The energy was there, so it’s easy to get up those hills. And it was fun to kind of sightsee Little Rock. I still haven’t been to a lot of the neighborhood areas since we live in Jacksonville, so it was nice to get to see like a new area that I haven’t gotten to see before.”
Like Williams, Moser also ran the 5K the day before running the marathon. She finished seventh overall and third among women in that with a time of 19:49.4.
Leah Thorvilson, 47, of Bella Vista finished second among women with a chip time of 2:54:49. Erin Bellissimo, 41, of Monument, Colo., finished third with a 3:02:05 chip time.
One other finish of note was Aaron McCaleb, who was the first marathon athlete overall to finish with a time of 1:59:48. Competing in the hand cycle division, McCaleb, 22, finished nearly 45 minutes before the nearest cyclist.
Temperatures remained favorable and fan support turnout was strong Sunday, giving competitors like Moser the boost they needed.
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“The weather was perfect for the first like two hours, and then that sun came out and it got a little warm, but the support was unmatched,” Moser said. “I mean, every single booth that you passed, the vibes were high. Everyone was cheering. People were screaming your name. It’s easy to run fast when you got that many fans.”
Runners cross the Broadway Bridge as the sun rises over the Arkansas River during the Little Rock Marathon on Sunday, March 1, 2026. (Arkansas Democrat-Gazette/Colin Murphey)
Runners cross the Broadway Bridge into North Little Rock during the Little Rock Marathon on Sunday, March 1, 2026. See more photos at arkansasonline.com/32runners/ (Arkansas Democrat-Gazette/Colin Murphey)
Runners cross the Broadway Bridge during the Little Rock Marathon on Sunday, March 1, 2026. See more photos at arkansasonline.com/32runners/ (Arkansas Democrat-Gazette/Colin Murphey)
Runners cross the Broadway Bridge during the Little Rock Marathon on Sunday, March 1, 2026. See more photos at arkansasonline.com/32runners/ (Arkansas Democrat-Gazette/Colin Murphey)
Runners cross the Broadway Bridge during the Little Rock Marathon on Sunday, March 1, 2026. See more photos at arkansasonline.com/32runners/ (Arkansas Democrat-Gazette/Colin Murphey)
A group of spectators watch runners cross the Broadway Bridge during the Little Rock Marathon on Sunday, March 1, 2026. See more photos at arkansasonline.com/32runners/ (Arkansas Democrat-Gazette/Colin Murphey)
A runner heads toward the finish line on the final stretch of the Little Rock Marathon on Sunday, March 1, 2026. See more photos at arkansasonline.com/32runners/ (Arkansas Democrat-Gazette/Colin Murphey)
Runners cross the Broadway Bridge into North Little Rock during the Little Rock Marathon on Sunday, March 1, 2026. See more photos at arkansasonline.com/32runners/ (Arkansas Democrat-Gazette/Colin Murphey)
Runners cross the Broadway Bridge into North Little Rock during the Little Rock Marathon on Sunday, March 1, 2026. See more photos at arkansasonline.com/32runners/ (Arkansas Democrat-Gazette/Colin Murphey)
Holly Moser heads toward the finish line on the final stretch of the Little Rock Marathon on Sunday, March 1, 2026. Moser would go on to win the women’s race. See more photos at arkansasonline.com/32runners/ (Arkansas Democrat-Gazette/Colin Murphey)
Benjamin Williams heads toward the finish line on the final stretch of the Little Rock Marathon on Sunday, March 1, 2026. Williams would go on to win the men’s race. See more photos at arkansasonline.com/32runners/ (Arkansas Democrat-Gazette/Colin Murphey)
Benjamin Williams heads toward the finish line on the final stretch of the Little Rock Marathon on Sunday, March 1, 2026. Williams would go on to win the men’s race. See more photos at arkansasonline.com/32runners/ (Arkansas Democrat-Gazette/Colin Murphey)
Runners cross the Broadway Bridge into North Little Rock during the Little Rock Marathon on Sunday, March 1, 2026. See more photos at arkansasonline.com/32runners/ (Arkansas Democrat-Gazette/Colin Murphey)
Competitors run past the Arkansas state Capitol during the Little Rock Marathon on Sunday, March 1, 2026. See more photos at arkansasonline.com/32runners/ (Arkansas Democrat-Gazette/Colin Murphey)
Katie Bowser stops to give her husband Larry Bowser a kiss before turning onto Tenth Street from Main Street during the 2026 Little Rock Marathon Sunday, March 1, 2026, in Little Rock. Katie was running the full marathon. See more photos at https://www.arkansasonline.com/0301Runners/..(Arkansas Democrat-Gazette/Adam Vogler)
Marion Milwee, 16, (from left) Jennifer Milwee and Shannon Butler Dixon cheer as Virginia Milwee, their sister, daughter and niece respectively turns on to Commerce Street from Ninth Street during the 2026 Little Rock Marathon Sunday, March 1, 2026, in Little Rock. See more photos at https://www.arkansasonline.com/0301Runners/..(Arkansas Democrat-Gazette/Adam Vogler)
Melinda Asewicz holds up her glass in salute as runners move west on Ninth Street during the 2026 Little Rock Marathon Sunday, March 1, 2026, in Little Rock. See more photos at https://www.arkansasonline.com/0301Runners/..(Arkansas Democrat-Gazette/Adam Vogler)
A runner moves east along Fourth Street during the 2026 Little Rock Marathon Sunday, March 1, 2026, in Little Rock. See more photos at https://www.arkansasonline.com/0301Runners/..(Arkansas Democrat-Gazette/Adam Vogler)
A runner gets a drink from Andrea Rothman as he moves east along Fourth Street during the 2026 Little Rock Marathon Sunday, March 1, 2026, in Little Rock. See more photos at https://www.arkansasonline.com/0301Runners/..(Arkansas Democrat-Gazette/Adam Vogler)
A runner moves east along Fourth Street during the 2026 Little Rock Marathon Sunday, March 1, 2026, in Little Rock. See more photos at https://www.arkansasonline.com/0301Runners/..(Arkansas Democrat-Gazette/Adam Vogler)
Runners move east along Fourth Street during the 2026 Little Rock Marathon Sunday, March 1, 2026, in Little Rock. See more photos at https://www.arkansasonline.com/0301Runners/..(Arkansas Democrat-Gazette/Adam Vogler)
Holly Moser, 25, of Jacksonville, crosses the finish line during the 2026 Little Rock Marathon Sunday, March 1, 2026, in Little Rock. Moser won the women’s race with a time of 2:53:23 the finish line https://www.arkansasonline.com/0301Runners/..(Arkansas Democrat-Gazette/Adam Vogler)
Holly Moser, 25, of Jacksonville, runs to the finish line during the 2026 Little Rock Marathon Sunday, March 1, 2026, in Little Rock. Moser won the women’s race with a time of 2:53:23 the finish line https://www.arkansasonline.com/0301Runners/..(Arkansas Democrat-Gazette/Adam Vogler)
Benjamin Williams of crosses the finish line during the 2026 Little Rock Marathon Sunday, March 1, 2026, in Little Rock.Williams won the men’s race with a time 2:32:07. https://www.arkansasonline.com/0301Runners/..(Arkansas Democrat-Gazette/Adam Vogler)
Benjamin Williams of crosses the finish line during the 2026 Little Rock Marathon Sunday, March 1, 2026, in Little Rock.Williams won the men’s race with a time 2:32:07. https://www.arkansasonline.com/0301Runners/..(Arkansas Democrat-Gazette/Adam Vogler)
Benjamin Williams of Baltimore runs on Ninth Street during the 2026 Little Rock Marathon Sunday, March 1, 2026, in Little Rock. Williams won the men’s race with a time 2:32:07. https://www.arkansasonline.com/0301Runners/..(Arkansas Democrat-Gazette/Adam Vogler)
Benjamin Williams of Baltimore runs on Fourth Street during the 2026 Little Rock Marathon Sunday, March 1, 2026, in Little Rock.Williams won the men’s race with a time 2:32:07. https://www.arkansasonline.com/0301Runners/..(Arkansas Democrat-Gazette/Adam Vogler)
Anne Henry Milner stretches out on the floor of the Statehouse Convention Center after completing the half marathon portion of the 2026 Little Rock Marathon Sunday, March 1, 2026, in Little Rock. See more photos at https://www.arkansasonline.com/0301Runners/..(Arkansas Democrat-Gazette/Adam Vogler)
Runners cross the finish line during the 2026 Little Rock Marathon Sunday, March 1, 2026, in Little Rock. See more photos at https://www.arkansasonline.com/0301Runners/..(Arkansas Democrat-Gazette/Adam Vogler)
A runner crosses the finish line during the 2026 Little Rock Marathon Sunday, March 1, 2026, in Little Rock. See more photos at https://www.arkansasonline.com/0301Runners/..(Arkansas Democrat-Gazette/Adam Vogler)
A runner crosses the finish line during the 2026 Little Rock Marathon Sunday, March 1, 2026, in Little Rock. See more photos at https://www.arkansasonline.com/0301Runners/..(Arkansas Democrat-Gazette/Adam Vogler)
Runners cross the finish line during the 2026 Little Rock Marathon Sunday, March 1, 2026, in Little Rock. See more photos at https://www.arkansasonline.com/0301Runners/..(Arkansas Democrat-Gazette/Adam Vogler)
Runners take to the course at the start of the 2026 Little Rock Marathon Sunday, March 1, 2026, in Little Rock. See more photos at https://www.arkansasonline.com/0301Runners/..(Arkansas Democrat-Gazette/Adam Vogler)
Sam (left) and Elliot Driver talk before the start of the 2026 Little Rock Marathon Sunday, March 1, 2026, in Little Rock. Elliot was running in the half marathon. See more photos at https://www.arkansasonline.com/0302Runners/….(Arkansas Democrat-Gazette/Adam Vogler)..
Maly Tabor (left) and Mary Kate Reid stretch before the start of the 2026 Little Rock Marathon Sunday, March 1, 2026, in Little Rock. Both women were running in the half marathon. See more photos at https://www.arkansasonline.com/0302Runners/….(Arkansas Democrat-Gazette/Adam Vogler)..
A group of runners walk down Main Street on their way to the Statehouse Convention Center for the start of the 2026 Little Rock Marathon Sunday, March 1, 2026, in Little Rock. See more photos at https://www.arkansasonline.com/0302Runners/….(Arkansas Democrat-Gazette/Adam Vogler)..
Volunteers gather outside of the Statehouse Convention Center before the start of the 2026 Little Rock Marathon Sunday, March 1, 2026, in Little Rock. See more photos at https://www.arkansasonline.com/0302Runners/….(Arkansas Democrat-Gazette/Adam Vogler)..
A runner walks towards the starting line of the 2026 Little Rock Marathon Sunday, March 1, 2026, in Little Rock. See more photos at https://www.arkansasonline.com/0302Runners/….(Arkansas Democrat-Gazette/Adam Vogler)..
Runners take to the course at the start of the 2026 Little Rock Marathon Sunday, March 1, 2026, in Little Rock. See more photos at https://www.arkansasonline.com/0301Runners/..(Arkansas Democrat-Gazette/Adam Vogler)
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