Antonio Praises DeWine for H.B. 173, H.B. 472 Vetoes

Today, Senate Democratic Leader Nickie J. Antonio (D-Lakewood) made the following statements after Governor DeWine vetoed House Bill 173 and House Bill 472. 

“If enacted, House Bill 173 would roll back consumer protections and undermine the recent ruling by the Ohio Supreme Court that said submetering companies are, in fact, public utilities," said Antonio. “I agree with Governor DeWine that the submetering model is fundamentally flawed, something Democrats have long identified as problematic. Ohio’s renters should be protected from this predatory practice at all costs.”  

House Bill 173 would strip away protections for Ohio’s consumers and exclude submetering companies from the definition of a public utility, allowing them to remain unregulated by the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio, increasing electric bills across the state.

“House Bill 472 is a blatant attempt at voter suppression by the Republican majority in the legislature,” said Antonio. “While proponents of the bill claimed it would protect against fraud and safeguard elections, our Senate Democratic caucus and, apparently, Governor DeWine saw through that lie. Our elections are so safe and secure that our statewide results for the 2024 general election had an accuracy rate of 99.99%. I commend Governor DeWine’s vetoes on these issues and his commitment to protecting the rights of Ohioans.”

House Bill 472 would require a valid copy of an individual’s ID to request an absentee ballot, creating unnecessary barriers for those who wish to exercise their constitutional right to vote, especially for rural and elderly communities.