Ohio Supreme Court to Review Case in Fight to Overturn FirstEnergy Nuclear Bailout
From The Columbus Dispatch:
The Ohio Supreme Court has agreed to rule on federal-court questions that could revive the failed referendum campaign seeking to repeal the ratepayer-financed House Bill 6 bailout of a pair of nuclear power plants in the state.
U.S. District Judge Edmund A. Sargus in Columbus ruled on Oct. 23 that Ohioans Against Corporate Bailouts turned to the wrong court in its bid for additional days to gather more signatures for its petition drive to place a ballot issue before voters.
Sargus sent the case to the state Supreme Court, which agreed Tuesday by a 4-0 vote to hear the lawsuit filed by opponents of the new law.
Justices Judith French, Patrick Fischer and Patrick DeWine did not participate in the vote because they have conflicts of interest involving their past campaign managers having served roles in the referendum campaign. State appellate court judges would be appointed to replace them in hearing arguments.
Ohioans Against Corporate Bailouts had asked Sargus, in a suit against Secretary of State Frank LaRose, to grant it up to 38 additional days to gather signatures. The group argued that unconstitutional state laws and reviews denied it the full 90 days and thus access to the ballot.Read the whole article by clicking here.