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Joe
Uecker
State
Representative
10/19/05
Legislature
working to help with Winter Heating Costs
Will
it be a cold winter or mild? This is the $64,000 question.
I have not seen but a few wooly catapillars so I’m
hoping it will be a mild one.
In either case, providing Ohioans with the
knowledge and resources to alleviate the costs associated
with winter home heating remains a top priority for the
Ohio House of Representatives. By holding hearings on
projected increased costs associated with natural gas, the
House hopes to provide Ohioans with the tools and
resources to prepare for the coming winter.
Recently
introduced legislation in the House Public Utilities
Committee could alleviate significant heating costs for
low income Ohioans this winter by providing funding
through the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF)
program.
Through
the measure, House Bill 356, up to $100 million in federal
TANF resources could be used in conjunction with the
federally funded Home Energy Assistance Program (HEAP).
Last year, more than 257,000 lower-income Ohio households
relied on assistance payments from HEAP to see them
through the winter. Areas all over this state could use
the TANF resources so that Ohio's families do not have to
choose between staying warm and putting food on their
tables.
The
federal government has projected a 71 percent increase in
natural-gas costs this winter for some regions of the
country. As a result, the House Public Utilities and
Energy Committee began holding hearings to explore all
options available to conserve energy and utilize existing
resources so Ohioans can be prepared.
Another
bill that could possibly provide taxpayer’s significant
savings at the pump by encouraging the widespread use of
alternative fuels received such movement in the House. The
measure, HB 245, received bipartisan support in the House
Transportation, Public Safety and Homeland Security
Committee that I am on back in June and carries the
support of the Ohio Environmental Council and the Ohio
Farm Bureau.
The
major benefits of the bill include decreasing the state's
dependence on foreign oil (better be our number one
priority), reducing air emissions and engine wear,
strengthening the bottom line for Ohio's farmers and
supporting Ohio's number one industry - agriculture.
Members
of the House hope that through these bills and continued
energy hearings we can identify potential ways to help
alleviate the burden of rising energy prices for all
Ohioans. In
the mean time, better get out the blankets and stay warm.
Joe
Uecker
State
Representative
Ohio’s
66 District
Representing
Batavia, Goshen, Miami and Union Townships as well as the
Cities of Loveland and Milford and the Villages of Batavia
and Amelia.(614)
466-8134
District
Office (513)-248-2565
Website:
www.JoeUecker.com
Email:
Joe@JoeUecker.com |
