LCI International Telecommunications Corp. v. Department of Commerce

Defendants appeal as of right orders of the Court of Claims granting summary disposition to plaintiffs, reversing the orders of the Public Service Commission that had rejected plaintiffs’ challenges to the amounts they were assessed pursuant to statute to help pay for the cost of regulation. Because both cases presented similar legal questions, following oral arguments, by order sua sponte, we consolidated these appeals for joint consideration. We agree with plaintiffs that defendants misinterpreted the statutory language requiring assessments to be based on a util ity’s “gross revenue . . .…