House Bill 6 Repeal Unplugged

After months of hearings and negotiations, state lawmakers have ended the legislative session without passing a single measure addressing House Bill 6, as neither the House nor Senate had sufficient votes to approve a legislative “repeal” offered by Reps. Jim Hoops (R-Napoleon) and Bill Seitz (R-Green Township).

The Hoops/Seitz “lite repeal” legislation was largely based on HB 798, which contained some good provisions but was not a repeal of HB 6 in any way. To the contrary, it would have paved the way for utilities to reap the benefits of HB 6 subsidies, including OVEC and decoupling.

The OMA issued a Key Vote Alert late last week advising lawmakers to vote against the Seitz/Hoops amendment. In the forthcoming legislative session, which begins in January, the OMA will urge lawmakers to advance the provisions contained in HB 772, introduced by Rep. Mark Romanchuk (R-Ontario). 12/23/2020