A signature-gathering effort to shoot down House Bill 6, which was approved in the Ohio Legislature and signed by Governor Mike DeWine, is on hold while a judge decides the next step.

The group “Ohioans Against Corporate Bailouts” says it doesn’t have enough signatures for a statewide vote in 2020 and will not be filing its referendum petition signatures.

Instead, the Columbus Dispatch reports the group is suing for more time.

The lawsuit contends a state law requiring the attorney general to certify summary language for the petition unconstitutionally consumed 38 of the 90 days it had to gather signatures.

House Bill 6 would charge most electricity customers 85 cents a month to generate $1 billion dollars.

That money would subsidize a pair of nuclear power plants owned by FirstEnergy.

Ohio lawmakers in July approved a roughly $1 billion financial rescue for two nuclear power plants in northern Ohio.

The owner of the plants says they would be forced to close without the money.