Earlier this week the Ohio Environmental Council Action Fund called for the immediate repeal of H.B. 6 – a dirty energy bill reliant on coal and nuclear that, as Leah Stokes wrote for Vox, “is widely recognized as the worst energy policy in the country.” OEC Action Fund’s statement followed the news that Ohio Speaker of the House of Representatives Larry Householder and four co-conspirators were arrested for taking $61 million in bribes from corporate utilities to pass the bill and bail out struggling nuclear and coal plants.

The OEC Action Fund has always strongly opposed the dirty energy legislation. Read their full statement below.

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For Immediate Release

July 21, 2020
Contact: OEC@theOEC.org

OEC Action Fund Calls for Immediate Repeal of House Bill 6

Columbus, OH — Today, Ohio House Speaker Larry Householder and four additional co-conspirators were arrested in a $60M federal racketeering case related to the passage of House Bill 6 in 2019. From the outset, the OEC Action Fund was strongly opposed to this legislation that traded Ohio’s clean energy standards for nuclear and coal bailouts, setting us back in the fight against climate change.

The following quote can be attributed in full or part to Heather Taylor-Miesle, Ohio Environmental Council Action Fund President:

“House Bill 6 has always been a bad deal for Ohioans, sticking us with dirtier air and higher utility bills while gutting our clean energy future. As we’ve suspected all along, the billion-dollar bailout, strong-armed through the General Assembly by Speaker Householder, appears to have been fueled by corrupt pay-to-play dealings with corporate utilities. Despite the fact that Ohioans overwhelmingly opposed HB 6, the disastrous legislation passed, ensuring that First Energy and its corporate investors benefited on the backs of Ohio taxpayers. When Ohioans fought back against the bad bill, they experienced outrageous, unprecedented attacks—funded by the same interests—that interfered with their democratic right to pursue a referendum at the ballot to repeal the bill.

“The Ohio Environmental Council Action Fund calls on the Ohio General Assembly to immediately repeal HB 6. We call on those who were a part of the corrupt dealings to resign immediately. And we call on all Ohio lawmakers to double down on their commitments to strengthen anti-corruption legislation now. Ohioans deserve better.”

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