Wednesday, June 14, 1pm, Ohio Statehouse

Alliance for Ohio’s Future will hold a public demonstration on Wednesday, June 14 at the Ohio Statehouse in Columbus to protest H.B. 49, a state budget bill that contains Amendment H.C. 2241, which strips the Governor of the power to appoint members to the four-member Oil and Gas Leasing Commission and gives these appointment powers to the Speaker of the House and the President of the Senate. All 58 state Representatives who voted in favor of the bill received contributions to their 2016 races from the fossil fuel industry, adding up to a combined $1.18 million.

Since 2011, Governor Kasich has declined to appoint anyone to the Oil and Gas Commission and, in doing so, has protected Ohio’s public land from fracking. If the new budget bill passes, fracking in state parks is likely to be on the horizon.

Speakers at the rally will include Ohio Sierra Club Director Jen Miller and citizen activists.

Alliance for Ohio’s Future is a coalition of progressive organizations and activists, who are concerned with climate change and the loss of natural resources and wildlife habitat, who have come together to fight for Ohio’s future. Members include Buckeye Environmental Network, Dayton Indivisible for All, Keep Wayne Wild, Ohio Student Association, Our Voice, Congressional candidate Samuel Ronan, and Wright State University College Democrats.

Contact: Becca Pollard, 503-756-2598 or keepwaynewild@gmail.com