CHEYENNE - Gov. Dave Freudenthal's appointment of Rob Hurless to a seat on the Wyoming Public Service Commission will be subject to confirmation by the state Senate during its budget session, which begins Monday.

Friday, Hurless, former longtime publisher of the Star-Tribune, said he does not know what to expect, having never been through a confirmation process before.

"It's all new to me at this point," he said. "I hope that people will look at my experience and training and make judgments on that."

Democrat Freudenthal's appointment of Hurless, a Republican, would leave the three-member commission under GOP control, although partisan issues rarely if ever surface at the PSC.

Hurless said he did not know whether his newspaper's endorsement of Freudenthal over Republican opponent Eli Bebout in the 2002 governor's race would have any bearing on his odds of confirmation in the GOP-dominated Senate.

"The senators get to question, and they get to vote however they feel, and that's their right, and I have great respect for that," Hurless said. "That's an important part of the way it's set up."

A couple of Natrona County senators on Friday signaled their support for the Hurless appointment, while a third was reserving judgment.

Sens. John Barrasso, R-Casper, and Bill Hawks, R-Casper, were enthusiastic about Hurless' nomination.

"I've been a big fan of Rob's for close to 20 years, and I think he can do an outstanding job in anything he does," Barrasso said. "I plan to support him."

Hawks also said he would "be very supportive" of the nomination.

Sen. Keith Goodenough, D-Casper, would not say whether he would vote to confirm Hurless.

"I really don't have an opinion, I guess," he said.

Goodenough said he assumed the position required a legal or utilities background. He added that when the governor nominates someone it is rare to see the person turned down.

If confirmed, Hurless will join PSC Deputy Chair Kristin Lee, a Democrat, and Commissioner Steve Furtney, a Republican, on the PSC. The commissioners serve six-year terms, and Hurless would fill the five years remaining in outgoing Chairman Steve Ellenbecker's current term.