The unfortunate passage of HB6, the coal and nuclear bailout bill, on July 23rd would not have come to fruition without the help of three Democratic State Senators and nine Democratic State Representatives, who broke with their party and ignored the wishes of the majority of Ohioans when they voted yes for a bill that will create a new energy tax and offers no benefit in terms of reducing energy waste, saving money, or bringing new clean energy online to replace retiring coal plants. The bill was so bad, it was met with opposition of a number of Republican Senators and State Representatives who voted no on this corporate bailout despite immense pressure.
Packaged as a “Clean Air Program”, HB6 supposedly will “provide incentives to build and maintain zero and reduced carbon emissions generation facilities in the state while lowering customers’ electric utility bills.” Despite its name, it is evident HB6 does not move Ohio forward towards cleaner and more efficiently generated energy. Moreover, it is uncertain that the predictions of lower costs will hold true for all Ohians with the new charges. A true clean air program would not have eliminated the Ohio’s Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS) and Energy Efficiency Resource Standard (EERS) which was anticipated to reduce the state’s annual carbon pollution by roughly 10 million tons and help avoid at least 44,390 asthma attacks between 2017 and 2029.
The bill will bail out FirstEnergy’s economically failing nuclear power plants Davis-Besse and Perry as well as the financial boondoggle which are the OVEC coal burning plants Kyger Creek in Ohio and Clifty Creek in Indiana by taxing Ohio residents regardless of their electricity provider. This tax forces Ohians to pay for uneconomic and dirty energy sources, rather than renewable energy we must transition to if we hope to mitigate climate change. This year, Ohio farmers sadly faced the consequences of changing rain patterns. Following unprecedented rainfall, many were forced to delay planting or change seeds later in the season. Strengthening, not weakening, standards which promote clean energy is our best bet for addressing the climate crisis and preventing extreme weather and its adverse impact on agriculture, from becoming the norm.
HB6 will also have a detrimental economic impact. In a recent Facebook post, Republican senator Joe Uecker, who voted against HB6, mentioned the jobs created in Southwest Ohio by the RPS and EERS standards being repealed and argued that the bill would also favor some plants over others and potentially harm the ones with no bailout. According to the senator, “HB6 is a bad bill. It is not just picking winners and losers; it is picking losers and doing so with Ohioans’ hard earned tax dollars”
Many Ohians voiced their opposition to HB6 by testifying against the bill at public hearings, writing letters to the editor of local papers, protesting outside the Ohio Statehouse, and contacting their elected officials.
Now it is critical that legislators hear from Ohioans like you. Let your representatives know how you feel about their vote which disregards all the negative environmental impacts that the bill will have. You can make your voice heard by calling, writing to, and tweeting at these Deocratic senators and state reps who failed to stand up for our environment and our future.
Contact these Democratic legislators today and hold them accountable for voting yes on HB6!
Senator Teresa Fedor (614) 466-5204
Senator Sandra Williams (614) 466-4857
Senator Kenny Yuko (614) 466-4583
State Rep Jack Cera (614) 466-3735
State Rep Tavia Galonski (614) 644-6037
State Rep Catherine Ingram (614) 466-1645
State Rep John Patterson (614) 466-1405
State Rep John Rogers (614) 466-7251
State Rep Michael Sheehy(614) 466-1418
State Rep Lisa Sobecki (614) 644-6017
State Rep Terrence Upchurch (614) 466-7954
State Rep Thomas West (614) 466-8030
Thank these Republican legislators for voting NO on HB6!
Senator Stephanie Kunze (614) 466-9078
Senator Rob McColley (614) 466-8150
Senator Michael Rulli (614) 466-8285
Senator Bill Coley (614) 466-8072
Senator Stephen Huffman (614) 466-6247
Senator Joe Uecker (614) 466-8082
State Rep Tim Ginter (614) 466-8022
State Rep Dave Greenspan (614) 466-0961
State Rep Ron Hood (614) 466-1464
State Rep Candice Keller (614) 644-5094
State Rep Kyle Koehler (614) 466-2038
State Rep Laura Lanese (614) 466-9690
State Rep Susan Manchester (614) 466-6344
State Rep Gayle Manning (614) 644-5076
State Rep Riorden McClain (614) 644-6265
State Rep Jena Powell (614) 466-8114
State Rep Craig Riedel (614) 644-5091
State Rep Mark Romanchuk (614) 466-5802
State Rep Scott Ryan (614) 466-1482
State Rep Ryan Smith (614) 466-1366
State Rep Reggie Stoltzfus (614) 466-9078
