Democratic lawmakers testify on bill to repeal House Bill 6

House Democratic lawmakers Reps. Michael J. Skindell (D-Lakewood) and Michael O’Brien (D-Warren) testified before the House Public Utilities Committee today on House Bill (HB) 57, their legislation to repeal HB 6. The Democrats urged lawmakers on the panel to act swiftly to repeal the controversial corporate bailout legislation at the center of an FBI investigation into an alleged $60 million public corruption scheme led by then-Republican Speaker Larry Householder (R-Glenford), the largest corruption and money-laundering scheme ever in Ohio.

“Electric customers are on the hook for paying for legislation adopted because of a $60 million corruption scheme. House Bill 6 must be immediately repealed to protect Ohioans and restore confidence in state government,” Rep. Skindell said in his testimony.

The Democratic legislation would repeal HB 6, a $1 billion bailout for Ohio's two nuclear power plants, which was signed into law in July 2019. Then-Speaker Larry Householder and several associates were allegedly paid tens of millions of dollars to pass HB 6 and to prevent a referendum against the law from coming before Ohio voters. Householder was arrested on July 21, 2020 for his role in the alleged racketeering scheme. 

“Often referred to as the worst energy policy legislation passed by any state, HB 6 is an example of how a corrupt system can pass legislation hurting average working families to benefit large corporations,” said Rep. O’Brien in his testimony.