Yesterday Ohio House Speaker Larry Householder and four others were arrested by FBI agents in connection with bribery charges related to the passage of HB 6. HB 6 will impose a fee of 85 cents a month on most residential ratepayers beginning next year and continuing through 2027 and generate a total of $170 million a year.
Most of the money, about $150 million a year, will shore up Energy Harbor’s Davis-Besse and Perry nuclear plants, which generate about 15% of Ohio’s electricity. The rest of the money will help develop six solar projects.
Electricity customers also will continue to pay a fee of as much as $1.50 a month through 2030 to subsidize two coal-fired power plants, one in Ohio and one in Indiana, owned by a group of power companies that include American Electric Power of Columbus.
The House approved the bill by a 53-43 vote on May 29, 2019, with the Senate adding its approval on July 17 with a 19-12 vote and the House concurring with changes in a 51-38 vote. Republican Gov. Mike DeWine, a supporter of the measure, signed it into law on July 23, 2019.
Because the bill passed under a cloud of investigations over bribery charges should it be repealed and fought again?