It is an unusual day when a core of Senate Republicans oppose legislation that goes on to pass by a significant margin. But it happened Tuesday when the Senate voted on the renewable energy tax bill, SB232 (Widener).
SB232 came in for ideological debate with Sen. Gillmor providing a litany of budget challenges the state faces in the near future, telling the chamber that because the state is a “poor state” “let perfect wind energy and we can continue to build the parts.” She went on to call the approach “corporate welfare.”
“I just can’t vote for it knowing what the state faces next year.”
That bill was amended four times on the floor including a provision that takes a section dealing with rural electric companies back to current law; one that clarifies how the impact of wind programs on local roads and bridges can be evaluated; one that extends to five years the window for developing a clean coal or nuclear alternative energy source; and the last one, correcting a provision from SB223, which had been rolled into the bill.
The bill now goes to the Ohio House where a similar Strickland backed bill, HB 464 is undergoing hearings.