Gov. Kasich tells Bob Black: I'll fight effort to sideline energ - 21 News Now, More Local News for Youngstown, Ohio -

COLUMBUS, Ohio - In an extended interview with 21 News anchor Bob Black, Ohio Governor John Kasich said he would fight a legislative effort to sideline his proposal to use an increase in taxes on oil and gas drilling in the state to offset his plan to reduce income taxes.

As the governor approaches the midpoint in his first term in office, he covered a wide range of topics in the interview, chief among them, Ohio's growing shale boom.

The governor says he wants the boom to benefit Ohio taxpayers telling Bob, "Somebody's going to benefit from this and I'd rather it be people in Ohio rather than the investors in these companies, some of which could be living in China for all we know."

The governor says he knows the shale riches beneath Ohio's land could be a once in a lifetime opportunity and he's determined the state's taxpayers will share in the wealth.

Kasich says he's been told the oil and gas resources hold the potential "of a trillion dollars worth of wealth" and Kasich adds he wants Ohioans to share in the wealth or "they're going to take that wealth and ship it back to Texas, to their investors, their board members and I'd like Ohio to benefit."

When asked if his plan is to use the oil and gas revenues to eventually totally eliminate the state income tax, the governor said that has always been his goal adding, that the fastest growing states in the country are the ones that "don't have an income tax, so what we need to focus on in the near term is how we make it lower."

The governor says he is not considering using the revenues to share with local governments.

Also in the interview, the governor addressed the brine injection well that's blamed for a dozen earthquakes in Youngstown and what he intends to do about all of the brine waste that's being shipped into Ohio from Pennsylvania.

Bob will have more on that topic and others he and the governor discussed in upcoming 21 News broadcasts. Check back here for the updates.