Reps. Weinstein and Brennan Announce Bill To Repeal and Refund HB 6 Corruption Fee To Ohioans

COLUMBUS– State Reps. Casey Weinstein (D-Hudson) and Sean Brennan (D-Parma) today announced their plan to introduce a bill to fully repeal and refund subsidies being paid by Ohioans to bail out two Ohio Valley Electric Corp. (OVEC) coal-fired power plants—one of which is located in Indiana. The subsidies were established in HB 6 during the 133rd General Assembly. 

This bill’s announcement comes after a federal jury found former Republican House Speaker Larry Householder and former Ohio GOP Party Chairman Matt Borges guilty of racketeering and conspiracy in relation to the passage of HB 6, which also included the $1 billion nuclear power plant bailout.

“The verdict is in: HB 6 was fraudulent legislation passed by illegal means at the expense of taxpayers,” said Rep. Weinstein. “Ohio families have been on the hook for up to $150 million each year in fees paid to OVEC, and if left untouched, Ohioans will pay roughly $1 billion in costs by 2030. It’s time to undo the damage caused by the largest bribery scandal in Ohio’s history and bring financial relief to Ohioans who are still paying to bail out dirty, failing coal plants.”

“My duty as an elected official is to serve honorably and make the lives of those I serve better. This legislation serves both goals by eliminating the vestiges of a bill born out of corruption, and providing residents with some needed financial relief,” said Rep. Brennan. “Protecting consumers should be a goal of all public servants. To that end, I hope that we can find bipartisan support for this bill.”

This bill would: 

•  Terminate and repeal the customer-paid subsidies to two OVEC coal facilities
• Require full repayments of all revenues collected from Ohioans to date
• Prevent future customer-paid subsidies to two OVEC coal facilities

Bipartisan efforts to repeal these charges were pursued during the 134th GA, and had the support of the Ohio Manufacturers’ Association, Sierra Club, the Ohio Consumers’ Council, and the Environmental Law and Policy Center. This bill will be formally introduced this week.