Both the leading candidates for governor, Republican Vivek Ramaswamy and Democrat Amy Acton, have called for a gas tax holiday this week. Acton was the first, followed by Ramaswamy’s announcement Wednesday that he and legislative leaders will vote on his gas tax suspension Sept. 30.
Just before that event, Acton suggested that while lawmakers are in town, they should take up another key issue in this close race – data centers.
“Ohioans have been clear; we need to lower costs, which is why I am calling on our Statehouse to pass a conditional moratorium on data centers when they return to session next week,” said Acton in a press release early Wednesday morning. “My opponent is seconding my call to deliver Ohioans emergency relief at the gas pump, but we can’t stop there. While billionaire Vivek Ramaswamy has millions of dollars personally invested in data centers, I am calling on lawmakers from across the aisle to come together and fight against the unchecked development of data centers driving up costs in our communities. I will always put the needs of working families over the wants of billionaires, corporations and special interests.”
Acton's campaign team did not make her available for an interview.
But House Speaker Matt Huffman (R-Lima), who appeared with Ramaswamy at the event to tout the Sept. 30 vote to enact the Ramaswamy-backed gas tax suspension, dismissed Acton's demand.
"If that was a serious proposal, if it was anything other than electioneering, she'd be standing at a podium like this, answering all the questions from all of you," Huffman told reporters. "But she's not going to do that. So it's not a serious proposal. And I reject the thought that somehow I've got to figure out what it is she's talking about and bring that to our members."
Senate President Rob McColley (R-Napoleon), who is Ramaswamy's running mate, added that Republicans have been talking about data centers for a while, so this is just "another example of empty political rhetoric from Amy Acton."
"[Gov.] Mike DeWine has already signaled through through his own moratorium that he put in place throughout the end of the year regarding data centers that none of these are really going to be announced through the end of the year," said McColley. "She's doing this because her political consultants are telling her, just add on, just throw in, just get some social media traffic off of this."
After Acton unveiled her moratorium in July, Ramaswamy unveiled his own, which he said he’ll sign on day one as governor.
