Columbus, OH -- Today, a new criminal complaint followed the FBI arrest of Ohio House Speaker Larry Householder for corruption charges linked to the passage of Ohio’s House Bill 6 (HB 6); the coal and nuclear bailout tax legislation. 

This time last year, Sierra Club along with other advocacy groups aggressively resisted HB6 which forces electricity customers to pay more each month to prop up aging uneconomic coal and nuclear power plants, instead of investing in newer and cheaper clean energy projects, while also gutting Ohio’s clean energy and energy efficiency laws. Despite those efforts, the legislation passed with mounting questions and frustration.

In response, Neil Waggoner, Senior Campaign Representative for Sierra Club’s Beyond Coal Campaign in Ohio, released the following statement:

“The whole process around HB 6 -- from its passage through the legislature, to the attempted referendum campaign -- was riddled with red flags. It's therefore shocking, but not surprising, that after a campaign around a bill based on lies, greed, and a complete disregard of facts now involves criminal corruption at the highest levels of Ohio’s state government. 

The Ohio legislature must take steps to rebuild public trust, and an immediate necessary first step is to repeal HB 6."

About the Sierra Club

The Sierra Club is America’s largest and most influential grassroots environmental organization, with more than 3.8 million members and supporters. In addition to protecting every person's right to get outdoors and access the healing power of nature, the Sierra Club works to promote clean energy, safeguard the health of our communities, protect wildlife, and preserve our remaining wild places through grassroots activism, public education, lobbying, and legal action. For more information, visit www.sierraclub.org.