March 7, 2007 - 3:55pm

BPU Commissioner to step down

Connie Hughes will resign her seat on the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities on July 1, 2007, ending a three-decade career in state government. "I am not retiring retiring, just retiring from state government," Hughes said in an e-mail. "The good news is that I am old enough to retire and young enough to keep working. I am looking forward to new challenges and opportunities." Her resignation opens up a Republican seat on the BPU, which offers interesting possibilities for Gov. Jon Corzine to affect the 2007 legislative elections.