Byron Dorgan: “The State deciding to adopt strict liability with respect to a utility does not put it in the category of products. I do…”

“The State deciding to adopt strict liability with respect to a utility does not put it in the category of products. I do not understand the mixing of the two. Let me take it one step further then. If that is the case, what would the logic be in saying to a State that because it decides to impose a standard of strict liability on utilities--because potentially you have some very hazardous kinds of circumstances that can exist with respect to electricity, steam, natural gas, and so on. But because a State decides to impose strict liability on that, what would be the logic of saying, by the way, you decided to do that, therefore, we will put the utilities under the protection of this law. I do not understand the logic of attaching that.”