June 18, 2026

OEC Action Fund Opposes the Passage of House Bill 219, Calls on Governor DeWine to Veto the Legislation 

For Immediate Release:    
June 17, 2026  

   

Contact:   
Karlena Wallace, Communications Director   
media@theoec.org 614-487-7506   

   

OEC Action Fund Opposes the Passage of House Bill 219, Calls on Governor DeWine to Veto the Legislation 

   

Columbus, Ohio — The Ohio Environmental Council (OEC) Action Fund sent a letter to Governor DeWine today urging him to veto Senate Bill 219, legislation that would fast-track oil and gas leasing on Ohio’s public lands and cut the public out of the decision-making process. Ohioans rely on public lands for their health and well-being, alongside the economic benefits they generate, all which SB 219 puts at risk.    

SB 219 would effectively:    

• Shorten the timeline for approving oil and gas leases on Ohio’s Public Lands, leaving little room for public engagement or environmental review.   

• Tip the scales toward oil and gas development. Amendment language in Section 155.34 would let leases include clauses that financially protect companies even if the lease is successfully challenged, handing the industry a windfall and making it more difficult to hold the industry accountable. 

In the end, SB 219 would do more harm than good to Ohio’s state public lands. Any financial benefit to the oil and gas industry would be short-lived, while the damage to these lands, and to the public’s voice in managing them, could last for years. Ohio’s long-term energy security depends on real, sustainable solutions, not a short-term giveaway to industry. 

The following quote can be attributed, in whole or in part, to Molly Jo Stanley, Southeast Ohio Regional Director for the Ohio Environmental Council (OEC) Action Fund:   

We hope that sending this letter to Governor DeWine will remind him how damaging Senate Bill 219 is for Ohio. Ohioans depend on our Public Lands for health and wellness, recreation, and maintaining livelihoods through hunting, fishing, and the growing outdoor economy that requires vibrant, well-tended ecosystems. Our leaders should be focused on protecting the health of Ohioans and our public lands, increasing transparency and opportunities for the public to be involved in decision-making that impacts them and the places they care about, and incentivizing economic and energy development that supports local communities and the recovery of our state natural treasures.” 

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The Ohio Environmental Council (OEC) Action Fund protects the environment and health of all Ohio communities by electing climate champions, holding public officials accountable, and advancing environmental justice policies.