Today's column begins:

You don't need to be a lawyer to understand how Gov. Martin O'Malley's Public Service Commission is flouting the law. Rarely is the difference so bright between what is permitted and what is perpetrated.

The law, signed by O'Malley in April 2008, lets the commission review deals by electric utility owners only if a transaction would give somebody at least a fifth of the shares or a fifth of the board seats at the owner corporation. The red, octagonal "STOP" sign at the end of my street is a similar example of clear legal language.

But the commission claims the power to reject Electricite de France's plan to invest in BGE parent Constellation Energy even though the French company would get only one out of more than 10 board seats and owns fewer than 10 percent of the shares. The decision demonstrates stunning bad faith by Maryland as well as O'Malley's increasing desperation to be seen as keeping campaign promises to lower electric prices.

Here is the relevant language from the law. Like I said, clear as day:

FOR THE PURPOSES OF THIS SUBSECTION, A PERSON MAY NOT BE CONSIDERED TO HAVE ACQUIRED, DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY, THE POWER TO EXERCISE ANY SUBSTANTIAL INFLUENCE OVER THE POLICIES AND ACTIONS OF A GAS AND ELECTRIC COMPANY IF THE PERSON:

(I) AFTER ANY ACQUISITION OF VOTING INTERESTS OF A
COMPANY THAT OWNS OR CONTROLS A GAS AND ELECTRIC COMPANY, DIRECTLY
OR INDIRECTLY, OWNS, CONTROLS, OR HAS THE RIGHT TO VOTE, OR DIRECT
THE VOTING OF, NOT MORE THAN 20% OF THE OUTSTANDING VOTING
INTERESTS OF A COMPANY THAT OWNS OR CONTROLS A GAS AND ELECTRIC
COMPANY; AND

(II) DOES NOT HAVE THE RIGHT TO DESIGNATE MORE THAN
20% OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OR OTHER GOVERNING BODY OF A COMPANY
THAT OWNS OR CONTROLS A GAS AND ELECTRIC COMPANY.