Some of the state’s highest ranking Republicans are coming out to support the oil and gas industry and its impact on Ohio in an effort to counter rhetoric in the presidential race.
Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton has said she’d like to crack down on the use of fossil fuels and create sanctions on the natural gas drilling practice known as fracking.
Republican Lt. Gov. Mary Taylor says Ohio’s economy would be struggling if those policies were in place at the start of 2009. “The future of our economy is tied to energy. We need to support all viable energy options and I would caution anyone who would seek to take coal and natural gas off the table.”
She cited numbers of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce which said the oil and gas industry created more than 114,000 jobs and brought in $9.9 billion.
