Americans for Prosperity – Ohio Urges the House to Vote ‘No’ Vote on House Bill 79
COLUMBUS, OH – Today, as the House prepares to vote on House Bill 79, Americans for Prosperity-Ohio (AFP-OH) reissued a key vote alert from earlier this year urging legislators to oppose HB 79. The bill creates a new utility program, increasing energy costs and harming consumers.
AFP-OH State Director Donovan O’Neil released the following statement:
“AFP believes in the free market and allowing consumers to shop for the most cost-effective and efficient supply of energy, which House Bill 79 limits.
“The legislature has packaged this bill as an energy efficiency program. In reality, it will create a new and burdensome mandate for consumers. Having a choice in how Ohioans obtain energy is crucial at a time when families are experiencing large increases in utility bills, continued inflation, property tax increases, and burdensome energy mandates from the Biden administration. AFP-OH urges lawmakers to vote against this misguided bill.”
Background
In the alert, AFP-OH outlines several concerns with the bill, noting that it is not a voluntary program because consumers must opt out of the program, rather than opting in. AFP-OH also points out that the bill does not include a clear cost cap and limits consumer control over “smart meters” in their homes and businesses.
Last year, AFP-OH issued a similar vote alert when legislators were expected to vote on House Bill 79, noting, “the last thing Ohioans need is another mandatory program being foisted upon them.” The bill stalled at the time, and AFP-OH has continued to closely monitor the legislation on behalf of Ohioans.
AFP-OH also continues to draw attention to state and national policies that weaken the free market system. Last year, AFP-OH led the effort to oppose House Bill 205, which mandated hiring practices for construction workers and subcontractors at Ohio’s petroleum refineries and would have led to higher energy costs and jeopardized worker safety.
As part of a national Prosperity is Possible campaign, AFP-OH has also held events throughout the state highlighting the skyrocketing costs of gas and other consumer goods resulting from disastrous economic and energy policies coming from Washington, D.C.
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