In The Columbus Dispatch, Buckeye’s Greg R. Lawson writes, “Ohio should look to models that utilize the innovations of the private sector to expand broadband internet service and not rely on taxpayer dollars to build, fund and own inefficient networks.”
The Buckeye Institute’s Economic Research Center released its latest policy report, Still Forbidden to Succeed: The Negative Effects of Occupational Licensing on Ohio’s Workforce. The report found that the burden of Ohio’s occupational licensing requirements has a greater impact on middle-aged and low-income workers, and those without a college degree. In essence, occupational licensing erects barriers to employment to those most in need of good-paying jobs. “This research offers more evidence of the negative impact of occupational licensing.”
In the Dayton Daily News, Buckeye's Rea Hederman looks at the benefits of tax reform for Ohioans. "Even with the hustle and bustle of holiday shopping, Congress is finding time for some last-minute business – the most sweeping tax reform bill in a generation. The centerpiece of the legislation is corporate tax reform, but people in Ohio and Dayton will benefit from lower rates and a simpler tax code."
The Buckeye Institute submitted written testimony to the Ohio House Public Utilities Committee on the need to increase competition in Ohio’s electricity market and the important reform policies found in House Bill 247. “Ohio’s hybrid restructuring model is unworkable and policymakers must either go back to a fully integrated, regulated structure or complete the electricity market reforms that the General Assembly initiated in 1999.”
The Buckeye Institute released its latest policy report, “Money Bail”: Making Ohio a More Dangerous Place to Live, which looks at the need for Ohio to replace its failing cash bail system with proven risk-assessment tools that provide a fairer, more efficient way to keep Ohio’s communities safe and secure. “The traditional money bail scheme is in dire need of reform, it is an inefficient, expensive, unfair means of protecting communities that has proven no guarantee to stopping repeat offenders.”
The Buckeye Institute issued a statement upon the introduction of House Bill 439, which would move Ohio away from an arbitrary cash bail system and give judges more flexibility and more information to detain dangerous defendants before trial. “Under Ohio’s current bail system, pretrial release is determined by the amount of money a person has access to rather than the actual threat the person poses to the community. And the policies proposed today are the first step in reforming a broken system.”
The Buckeye Institute filed a new amicus brief with the Supreme Court of the United States in the case Janus v. American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees, Council 31, arguing that overturning Abood v. Detroit Board of Education is unlikely to cause significant decline in union membership or spending. “Forcing Mr. Janus, or any worker for that matter, to pay for speech with which they disagree violates their First Amendment rights, which are some of the most important rights we hold as Americans.”
Talk of tax reform has been everywhere recently, with many different opinions being voiced as both the U.S. House (passed on November 16) and Senate (still being debated) have released their own versions of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act in the past several weeks. Like many other attempts for political reform, this tax bill will see more changes and compromise before it is officially passed. With this in mind, let’s take a look at two main ways this initial proposal will impact you, your family, and your fellow Ohioans.
