Ohio ranks an unimpressive 37th out of all 50 states in this year’s Economic Freedom of North America report, released by the Economic Research Center at The Buckeye Institute in partnership with Canada’s Fraser Institute. The report ranks every state and province in North America based on economic freedom, as measured by government spending, taxation, and labor market restrictions.
As the Ohio House State and Local Government Committee prepares to issue its first review of Ohio occupational licenses, The Buckeye Institute issued its newest policy brief, Opening Doors: Occupational Licensing Reform in Ohio After Senate Bill 255, where it identified 30 licenses that the state can eliminate or where training hours can be reduced, saving Ohioans hundreds, if not thousands of dollars, and countless hours in training.
In a new whitepaper for The Federalist Society, Robert Alt, a nationally-recognized leader in criminal justice reform, and president and chief executive officer of The Buckeye Institute, outlines a sampling of the significant strides states across the country took in reforming their criminal justice laws throughout 2018.
The Economic Research Center at The Buckeye Institute, in partnership with the Arizona Free Enterprise Club, released new research that found, in an effort to encourage the purchase of electric cars, low- and middle-income Arizonans are subsidizing wealthier Arizonans who can afford new and more expensive electric cars. The report, It Ain’t Easy Being Green: A Cost-Benefit Analysis of Electric Vehicles in Arizona, revealed that the subsidies lead to bad outcomes for many Arizonans.
As the Ohio Senate continues its work on Ohio’s 2020-2021 biennial budget, The Buckeye Institute’s Economic Research Center released a new policy brief, How to Grow Ohio’s Economy: Return the Budget Surplus to Taxpayers, which found that returning $658 million to taxpayers—through permanent lower taxes— would lead to 6,600 more jobs annually. “By returning the entire surplus to taxpayers, the Senate would put Ohio on a path to create more than 6,000 new jobs, increase private sector investment, and keep Ohio’s economy growing.”
In Renewables Mandate: A Drag on Ohio’s Economy, the Economic Research Center at The Buckeye Institute looks at the impact Ohio’s renewable portfolio standards have on Ohio’s families and businesses. The mandates are part of the debate on House Bill 6, which creates a taxpayer funded subsidy to prop-up declining businesses. “The Buckeye Institute discourages policies that transfer wealth from Ohio households to special interests, whether as subsidies paid with tax dollars, or regulations that create higher prices for necessities, such as electricity.”
A new report, Unsustainable Spending: The State of Alaska’s Budget and Economy, by The Buckeye Institute’s Economic Research Center, found that raising taxes would not raise the revenue needed to address Alaska’s $1.6 billion budget shortfall. “Putting new taxes on Alaskans only burdens the state through reduced investment, a stagnant economy, and lower job creation, and it fails to cover the state’s current budget shortfall.” The research was conducted in conjunction with the Alaska Policy Forum.
The Buckeye Institute released its 2019 Piglet Book, which identified $2.5 billion in savings for Ohio taxpayers. “Making these cuts will save Ohio taxpayers money, make government more efficient and effective, and keep the state on solid financial ground to better weather the next economic storm.” The Piglet Book is an analysis of Ohio’s proposed biennial budget and offers savings for policymakers to consider as they debate the state’s two-year budget.
In Local Government Funding Reform: Cost-Saving Alternatives to State Revenue Sharing, The Buckeye Institute outlines six cost-saving measures and spending alternatives that would enhance the strengths and advantages that local governments offer their constituents, while reducing the fiscal burdens that are often placed on state resources and taxpayers. “Reducing local dependence on shared state funding today will make Ohio’s local governments more accountable and responsive, giving Ohio and her local communities a better tomorrow.”
As Ohio policymakers turn their focus to the state’s 2020-2021 biennial budget, The Buckeye Institute’s Economic Research Center released Sustaining Economic Growth: Tax and Budget Principles for Ohio, which found that returning $210 million in surplus to taxpayers—through permanent lower taxes—would lead to 2,100 more jobs annually. “If Ohio is to sustain its recent economic success and prosperity, state policymakers must follow prudent tax and spending principles as they prepare the state’s budget.”
