Ohio House passes bill to drill in state parks

COLUMBUS — The Ohio House approved legislation today that would open state parks and other state-owned lands to oil and gas drilling.

Supporters said House Bill 133 will provide the state with a steady funding source to improve Ohio’s parks and public lands.

“I believe this bill ... can be a huge protection to our public lands,” said Rep. Ron Young, a Republican from Lake County. “We’ve already heard here today that parks are a half-billion dollars in the hole right now. They’re behind on improvements. They’re behind on expansion. They need the revenues.”

But opponents said state lands not currently open to drilling should remain that way. And a last-minute amendment offered by Republicans to prohibit drilling in Ohio’s nature preserves did little to gain Democratic support.

“This is about parks, protecting the parks, protecting the pristine order of what our state is,” said Rep. Bob Hagan of Youngstown, D-60th. “You can do anything you want on your private property, but the parks belong to the people of Ohio.”

For the complete story, read Thursday's Vindicator and Vindy.com