(COLUMBUS, Ohio) — Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost is seeking to delay a 15-year extension of JobsOhio’s lease on state liquor profits – a deal that requires nothing in return from the private corporation.
“I have grave concerns that this is not a good deal for Ohioans,” Yost said in a letter sent today to JobsOhio. “Fifteen years is a long time, and the people of Ohio deserve proper consideration and a full explanation.”
In a separate letter to the Office of Budget and Management, Yost asks the Controlling Board to hold off on considering the extension during the board’s Feb. 12 meeting.
The proposal would extend JobsOhio’s initial 25-year lease on state liquor profits by an additional 15 years. Under the terms of the original agreement, JobsOhio was required to make an up-front payment of roughly $1.4 billion. Yost questions why the terms of the extension lack any requirement for a similar payment.
“It appears to me JobsOhio is required to pay nothing for a 15-year extension of this limited, one-time franchise,” Yost said.
“How is it in the best interest of the people of Ohio to extend such a valuable franchise under these circumstances?”
The Attorney General’s Office was scheduled to meet with JobsOhio today to gather more information about the deal, Yost said, but JobsOhio canceled the meeting and is unable to reschedule it before the extension goes before the Controlling Board next week.
“I am requesting that you delay the adoption of this measure until we have had an opportunity to more fully discuss the matter and its implications for Ohioans,” Yost said in the letter to JobsOhio.
“The statute authorizing this extension requires the approval of JobsOhio to proceed, so it is within your ability to delay this matter in the interest of public trust and transparency.”
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