Office of the Ohio Consumers' Counsel

Press Room

Contact: Beth Gianforcaro (614) 466-9491

Statement of Ohio Consumers' Counsel Bruce J. Weston

Provision in Am. Sub. H.B. 487 would avoid $1.5 million budget reduction scheduled for July 2012

COLUMBUS, Ohio – May 23, 2012 – Yesterday evening the Conference Committee of the Senate and House met to consider the Mid-Biennium Review of the budget, in House Bill 487. The Committee members added a provision to maintain the budget of the Office of the Ohio Consumers' Counsel (OCC) at its current level, which would avoid the reduction of $1.5 million scheduled for July 1, 2012. In the next day or two there likely will be votes in the Senate and House on the Bill.

"Ohioans are fortunate to have the leadership of Senate President Niehaus who strongly supported maintaining the consumers' voice on utility issues," said Consumers' Counsel Bruce Weston. "I thank the Senate and House members of the Conference Committee who, by their action, supported advocacy for Ohio utility consumers. Senator Jones (Chairwoman of the Senate Energy and Public Utilities Committee), Senator Widener (Chairman of the Senate Finance Committee), and Representative Amstutz (Chairman of the House Finance Committee) acted with their Committee colleagues to preserve OCC's budget for protecting Ohio consumers."

"OCC is committed to its core mission of advocating for Ohio consumers with regard to the affordability and reliability of their electric, natural gas, telephone and water services," said Weston. "There is much to be done in this area that affects so many Ohioans."

About the Office of the Ohio Consumers' Counsel

The Office of the Ohio Consumers' Counsel (OCC), the residential utility consumer advocate, represents the interests of 4.5 million households in proceedings before state and federal regulators and in the courts. The state agency also educates consumers about electric, natural gas, telephone and water issues. For more information, please visit the OCC website at www.pickocc.org.