The president of the Ohio Senate says he is on board with efforts to repeal the state's nuclear bailout law, as a House committee studies how it could be done.
The bailout, HB6, is at the center of a $61 million federal bribery case that led to the ouster of former Speaker Larry Householder (R-Glenford).
Senate President Larry Obhof (R-Medina), who voted for the bailout, says something needs to be done about HB6 soon.
“I favor straight repeal, and frankly, I’m not sure how much discussion we really need to have to discuss that," Obhof says. "But there are economic effects of doing that."
Obhof says a repeal of the entire law could result in an increase to ratepayers, because he says it cut rates overall – though it created an 85 cent monthly surcharge for the nuclear power plants on all ratepayers’ bills starting this coming January. That's a defense that others, including Householder, have cited as why the bill is good legislation.
A bipartisan Senate bill, which would repeal the law in full, had its first hearing this week. Neither the Republican nor Democratic-sponsored bills in the House has had a hearing.
Ohio House Speaker Bob Cupp (R-Lima) has appointed the members of a committee that will consider the nuclear bailout law. It includes five representatives who voted for HB 6, eight who voted against it, and two who weren't in the legislature when it passed last year.
Democrats say Republicans are slowing down the repeal process with a new committee.
