Latest news with #HB6
Yahoo
11-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Ohio regulators begin House bill 6 hearings as lawmakers mull anti-corruption legislation
Aerial photograph of the OVEC-operated Kyger Creek Power Plant in Cheshire. (Getty Images.) The Public Utilities Commission of Ohio on Tuesday kicked off several weeks of hearings related the House Bill 6 scandal. The proceedings braid together three different cases tied to FirstEnergy's scheme to bribe lawmakers and regulators to bail out nuclear and coal plants. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX Meanwhile in Washington, D.C., an Ohio Congresswoman wants to expand the definition of an 'official act' to ensure corrupt politicians can't wriggle out of accountability. At the same time, state lawmakers in Ohio are mulling campaign finance changes that would allow corporations and unions to make unlimited contributions to dark money groups like the ones at the center of the HB 6 scandal. The HB 6 hearings bring together almost two dozen attorneys representing utilities, consumers, and several interested parties from the energy and manufacturing industry. As part of the proceedings, each party gets a chance to cross examine witnesses. Several FirstEnergy officials who previously refused to testify citing their Fifth Amendment rights will take the stand in coming hearings. State utility regulators preparing for Ohio House Bill 6 hearing But after years in the works, the proceedings didn't exactly burst out of the gate. Attorneys sparred before starting about what evidence was admissible and the correct order of cross examination. Once the show got on the road, an auditor from Blue Ridge Consulting named Donna Mullinax took the stand to discuss a 2021 report on FirstEnergy's capital recovery rider. Utility companies in Ohio can get approval to state regulators to charge customers for investments in improving their infrastructure. The company recoups that investment by tacking a surcharge on consumers' bills known as a rider. The Blue Ridge audit dug into FirstEnergy's books to determine whether the company's expenditures were reasonable. Auditors determined that the company's 'revenue requirements calculation is not unreasonable,' but state regulators later asked for a closer look. In that expanded scope audit, Blue Ridge found more than 20 payments to organizations related to former PUCO Chairman Sam Randazzo. 'I didn't know who he was,' Mullinax told attorneys for the Ohio Consumers' Counsel. In all, the report indicated FirstEnergy funneled roughly $14.4 million to the Randazzo-connected entities, and many of those payments lacked supporting documents like a contract or purchase order. DeWine says Randazzo's ties to First Energy were well known, but the evidence of this is lacking As part of a 2021 deferred prosecution agreement, FirstEnergy acknowledged paying a $4.3 million bribe to Randazzo, identified as 'public official B,' for 'performing official action in his capacity as PUCO Chairman to further FirstEnergy Corp.'s interests.' This Friday, FirstEnergy's former Senior Vice President, Dennis Chack will testify. He's the first of six high ranking officials who used to worked at FirstEnergy who will take the stand. Chack previously pled the Fifth, but has been granted immunity from prosecution to share information relevant to the case. Last week, U.S. Rep. Emilia Sykes, D-OH, joined six other lawmakers last week introducing what they're calling their 'End Corruption Now' agenda. The proposals include a lifetime ban on members of congress lobbying and requiring members put investments in a blind trust, among others. Sykes' Closing Bribery Loopholes Act zeroes in on the definition of an 'official act.' She pointed to charges against former Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell, who accepted lavish gifts from a political donor. A federal district court convicted him of wire fraud among other charges and the appeals court affirmed the ruling. But in 2016, the U.S. Supreme Court overturned his conviction. 'The court ruled that those favors did not meet the very narrow definition of an official act under federal law,' Sykes argued. 'That decision blew a hole in anti-corruption safeguards and set precedent that made it easier for public officials to sell access, influence and prestige without facing any consequences.' She explained the issue is important to her in light of Ohio's recent history; Sykes was serving in the Ohio House at the time of HB 6's passage and voted against the bill. She argued Ohio 'had a lot of work to do' in the wake of the scandal that landed former Ohio House Speaker Larry Householder behind bars. Attorneys for Householder, Borges 'hopeful' following pardon for Cincinnati politician 'Unfortunately, that work has not started in the state house of Ohio,' Sykes argued, and so she's attempting to address the problem at the national level. Just two months ago, state lawmakers finally approved legislation eliminating the HB 6 rider propping up aging coal plants. More recently, the Senate's version of the state budget includes provisions allowing corporations and labor unions to make independent expenditures in political campaigns — like running ads for or against a given candidate. Unlike donating directly to a candidate's campaign, which is capped, independent expenditures have no upper limit. With the Senate's changes in place, the money FirstEnergy funneled to dark money groups controlled by Householder would be perfectly legal, so long as the expenditures were properly reported. 'Let me clear, when we allow public officials to use their power for personal gain and shield them from accountability, it undermines democracy itself,' Sykes insisted. 'This bill and the broader end corruption now agenda is about restoring public trust and ensuring that no one — no one — is above a law,' she said. 'Not a governor, not a president, not a Speaker of the House.' Follow Ohio Capital Journal Reporter Nick Evans on X or on Bluesky. 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Yahoo
03-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Your Ohio electric bills are probably going up this month
**Related Video Above: Major rise in electric bill prices went into effect in May 2023. CLEVELAND (WJW) —FirstEnergy customers are being alerted their electric bills may be getting more expensive starting this month due to energy market price. As of June 1, residential customer rates for those on the standard service offer rose about 2 cents per kilowatt hour (kWh), according to the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio (PUCO). The rate increase does not include those who are enrolled with a competitive supplier or a government aggregation, such as the Northeast Ohio Public Energy Council (NOPEC). Statehouse effort to repeal HB6 moving forward See the price hikes right here. For those with Cleveland Electric Illuminating for instance, that rate doesn't mean a 27% increase to the entire bill, but to the supplier portion of the bill. Energy demand, such as from large data centers around the state, and limited supply continue to drive these costs, J.P. Blackwood, a spokesperson for the Office of the Ohio Consumers' Counsel told FOX 8. It's important to note that FirstEnergy delivers the electricity but does not generate electricity. Capacity prices, only a small portion of your bill, are going up about 800% following the latest auction by PJM Interconnection, which affects June 2025 through May 2026. This latest increase does not have to do with FirstEnergy asking the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio (PUCO) to increase customers' base rates back in April. Ohioans can soon buy over twice as much nonmedical marijuana At the time, they said it would help its Ohio companies 'recover their costs of providing distribution service to customers, including service reliability improvements made in recent years,' according to a statement from the company. Since FirstEnergy's last base rate review in 2009, its Ohio companies — Ohio Edison, The Illuminating Company and Toledo Edison — have reportedly invested millions of dollars to modernize and strengthen the distribution system which help reduce the size and length of power outages, according to the company. Following multiple public hearings in Northeast Ohio, this decision is still ongoing. 'Utilities need money, but they need to be spending consumers' money only on what's needed and also what's prudent,' Blackwood said. Those interested in trying to save money on their bill have the option to look at other energy suppliers on PUCO's Apples to Apples site. Check out Energy Choice Ohio's ways to make your home more energy efficient right here. Find out more about your FirstEnergy bill right here. For those in need of assistance to manage their electricity bill head to the following website: Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
03-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
State utility regulators preparing for Ohio House Bill 6 hearing
Natural gas meter with pipe on wall. Stock photo from Getty Images. Ohio utility regulators are gearing up for hearings on FirstEnergy's role in the House Bill 6 scandal. Former Ohio House Speaker Larry Householder is behind bars — although seeking a presidential pardon — for overseeing the largest corruption case in state history. FirstEnergy funneled about $60 million to a dark money group controlled by Householder. The former speaker used that money to secure his own leadership position and influence passage of HB 6. The measure propped up a pair of nuclear plants and aging coal facilities by tacking a rider onto consumers' monthly bills. But that's just the broad strokes. Nearly five years on from Householder's indictment, questions remain about how exactly the scheme unfolded and where FirstEnergy officials got the money for it. Half a dozen former FirstEnergy officials in government affairs and c-suite positions are set to testify in a PUCO hearing next week. Four of them previously pled the Fifth and have since received immunity from a Franklin County judge. At the heart of the case, the Ohio Consumers' Counsel wants to demonstrate whether FirstEnergy used the money it got from average consumers to bribe state officials. In January, former FirstEnergy executives Charles 'Chuck' Jones and Michael Dowling were indicted on federal racketeering charges. Last year, state officials filed more than 40 charges against the executives as well as the man they bribed, former PUCO chairman Sam Randazzo. Last week, a judge in Summit County dismissed theft charges against Jones and Dowling, but they still face several other state criminal charges. The PUCO proceedings focus on the employees one rung below Jones and Dowling, attempting to show how money moved in the scheme by gathering testimony from the foot soldiers who answered to FirstEnergy's leadership. Four of the witnesses previously refused to testify, citing their Fifth Amendment protections against self-incrimination. A Franklin County judge ordered them to testify and granted them 'the broadest possible immunity' from prosecution. Ohio indictments provide a better picture of squalid relationships that spurred massive scandal The PUCO will also hear from Steven Strah, the former CFO who took over FirstEnergy following Jones' ouster, and Robert Reffner, the company's chief legal officer at the time of the scandal. The Ohio Consumers' Counsel subpoenas argue consumers were wrongly charged more than $6.6 million, and another $7.4 million was incorrectly listed as a capital expenditure. Compelling testimony, the filings argue, 'will help establish how and why FirstEnergy improperly misallocated House Bill 6 costs to the FirstEnergy Utilities.' 'We look forward to getting answers for FirstEnergy consumers and holding FirstEnergy accountable,' Ohio Consumers' Counsel Maureen Willis said in a statement. 'Justice for FirstEnergy consumers is long overdue.' Just over a month ago, state lawmakers voted to put an end to the House Bill 6 rider tacked on to ratepayers' monthly bills. The legislation won't take effect until August. Democrats in the Ohio House, meanwhile, argue the door remains open for next House Bill 6. 'No law in Ohio prevented this scandal,' state Rep. Bride Rose Sweeney, D-Westlake, argued at a press conference last month. 'And since, not one law has even remotely been truly attempted to fix this massive injustice.' Sweeney, and state Reps. Chris Glassburn, D-North Olmsted, Dani Isaacsohn, D-Cincinnati, and Desiree Tims, D-Dayton, have filed bills that would require contribution disclosures to or so-called dark money groups, institute penalties for undermining signature gathering campaigns and bar companies that make contributions from receiving state contracts. The PUCO will hold a procedural hearing this morning, with the evidentiary portion of the case beginning next week, on June 10. The hearings themselves will likely take several days. Follow Ohio Capital Journal Reporter Nick Evans on X or on Bluesky. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
Yahoo
30-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Bill expanding Texas student discipline options awaits Gov. Abbott's signature
The Brief A new bill has passed both sides of the Texas legislature, giving schools more options for student discipline. The bill allows for longer in-school suspensions, expands the use of out-of-school suspensions for younger students and those experiencing homelessness, and offers more flexible punishments for vaping. Governor Greg Abbott plans to sign the bill into law, and it is expected to take effect on Sept. 1. AUSTIN - A new bill has passed through both sides of the Texas legislature, aiming to increase options for student discipline in state schools. Gov. Greg Abbott says he plans to sign the bill into law once it reaches his desk, calling the proposal "common sense." The Proposal HB 6 would extend how long schools can place students on in-school suspension. Current law allows for three days; the proposed legislation would allow the suspension to last as long as schools deem appropriate, with principals required to review the placement every 10 days. "Repeated and significant" classroom disruption or threats to the health and safety of other children could now be met with out-of-school suspension, in a reversal of prior state laws that limited the punishment's use. Reporting by the Texas Tribune noted that the out-of-school suspension expansion would enable schools to discipline students experiencing homelessness, as well as students as young as kindergarten through the third grade. The bill also changes punishments for students caught with vapes. Schools previously were required to send such students to alternative education facilities; now, first-time offenders can be given less severe punishments, and alternative education programs can be administered remotely. The Texas House of Representatives passed HB 6 in April, and the Senate approved it last Wednesday, May 21. The House has now approved 19 Senate amendments to the bill, sending it to the governor's desk to be signed into law. What they're saying Abbott posted about HB 6 on X Wednesday night. "The school discipline bill passed the Texas House & is headed to my desk," Abbott said. "It's common sense to give teachers the authority to remove disruptive students from classrooms. We must restore discipline in our schools." The Texas Tribune quotes Sen. Charles Perry (R-Lubbock), who championed the bill in the Senate. "Disruptions are impeding both the ability of teachers to teach and the ability of students to learn," Perry said. Perry went on to say that the bill has been six years in the making. "We've reached a crisis point where there's just some kids that absolutely are such a deterrent to the overall learning process that we have to find a better way," Perry said. "With that, HB 6 found that balance. I like where we landed." What's next As Abbott plans to approve the bill once it reaches his pen, it can be expected to take effect on Sept. 1. The Source Information in this article comes from Texas Legislature Online and the Texas Tribune.


CBS News
29-05-2025
- General
- CBS News
School discipline bill passes Texas House, heads to Gov. Greg Abbott's desk
The 89th Texas legislative session ends in less than a week. Here are outstanding bills The 89th Texas legislative session ends in less than a week. Here are outstanding bills The 89th Texas legislative session ends in less than a week. Here are outstanding bills A bill that would allow suspensions for students from pre-K to second grade passed in the Texas House late Wednesday night and is off to the governor's desk. House Bill 6 details how to discipline students in pre-K through second grade and homeless students when there is a repeated and significant disruption. It would overturn Texas laws that previously protected those students. Senators have previously softened those guidelines, which gives individual schools more autonomy to discipline students. The latest version allows in-student suspensions for as long as the school sees fit, as long as principals review placements every 10 days. Under HB 6, students can be suspended if there's an offense related to weapons; if students threaten the immediate health and safety of others; or if they repeatedly or significantly disrupt the classroom, as determined by the campus administrator. "It's common sense to give teachers the authority to remove disruptive students from classrooms," Gov. Greg Abbott posted on social media after the bill was passed. "We must restore discipline in our schools." Two Kennedale ISD educators recently told CBS News Texas their pros and cons of the bill. "I watched a 5-year-old tear up a kindergarten classroom, and when I say tear it up, I mean destroy it. It's real," said. Kennedale ISD superintendent Dr. Chad Gee. "And how are those teachers supposed to educate all the students in their classrooms with that going on?"