AEP contributed $1.4 million in dark money for HB 6, and has received $60 million to date in coal plant subsidies
I wrote last week about HB 120, a bipartisan bill that would end the subsidies which all Ohio ratepayers are being forced to pay under HB6 for two aging coal-fired plants owned by OVEC, a consortium in which AEP has a 40% ownership stake. We have to pay this even if we are not customers of the utilities that own the plants.
These plants are highly polluting and consistently operate at a loss. Marty Schladen published a shocking summary of testimony at the recently-concluded federal corruption trial of former House Speaker Larry Householder about AEP, which spent over $1.4 million through 501c4 dark money groups to pass HB 6 and undermine a citizen petition drive to repeal it at the ballot box. Adding up the subsidies, Schladen reports that AEP stands to make $66 on each dollar it spent in contributions it didn’t have to disclose. Ohio utilities plan to raise electric rates this summer significantly on customers who don’t have rates locked in with other suppliers (such as municipal aggregation plans).
Please write your Ohio House Representative with your views on the coal plant subsidy and HB 120 to repeal it. You can easily find your Representative’s email and phone by putting your address in Who Represents Me box at the Ohio Legislature homepage. House Speaker Jason Stephens has told reporters he opposes HB 120. You can email Speaker Stephens here.
Committee chair fired in controversy over rules to amend Ohio’s constitution
Twenty-eight members of the Ohio House have signed a discharge petition to bypass the normal process of committee hearings for the public to testify, and bring HJR 1 directly to a floor vote. HJR1 is the proposal to raise the threshold to 60% of the vote, making it much harder for citizens to amend Ohio’s constitution. This dovetails with the introduction of an Ohio Senate bill late last month to create a special election in August (which could cost taxpayers an estimated $20 million) to pass the rule change before the citizen-proposed reproductive rights amendment can reach voters in November.
One of the people who signed the discharge resolution is Scott Wiggam (R-Wayne County), who was Chair of the House Constitutional Resolutions Committee – until the Speaker fired him! Wiggam has not held any public hearings on HJR1 after the first, sponsor hearing. Speaker Jason Stephens wrote a blistering letter to Wiggam on March 30. After describing the bill as “a priority for our caucus” and criticizing him for inaction on the bill, Stephens removed Wiggam as Chair and as a member of the committee.
“Your handling of House Joint Resolution 1 over the last month and a half has made it clear that you are either unable or unwilling to fulfill [the responsibilities of a Chair].” Stephens concluded, “I am profoundly disappointed that I have to take this action. Ohio’s Constitution is the bedrock of our democracy, and I believe any changes to it should only result from an honest, open, and public debate. After all, this is the People’s House.”
Advocacy briefings are compiled by Ariel Miller, a longtime community advocate and member of Ascension & Holy Trinity, Wyoming. Connect with her at arielmillerwriter@gmail.com
