In a Rust Belt swing state where “tough on crime” has been the norm for decades, one think tank has dared to challenge preconceived notions about crime, ex-offenders and why it’s so important for a state’s economy to tap into a segment of human capital that has been squandered for far too long.
Ohio ranks an unimpressive 38th 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. “Ohio continues to lag behind many of its neighbors and, compared to last year’s rankings, is flat lining when it comes to overall economic freedom.”
A new report, Healthy and Working: Benefits of Work Requirements for Medicaid Recipients, by The Buckeye Institute’s Economic Research Center found that work and community engagement requirements keep benefit recipients participating in the work force, helping them gain valuable work experience and generate higher earnings and income. “[W]ork and community engagement requirements can lead to better job opportunities with better quality private insurance, higher earnings, and provide incentives to work towards economic prosperity.”
New research conducted by The Buckeye Institute’s Economic Research Center found that tax increases being considered by policymakers in Louisiana would lead to a loss of jobs and a decline in the state’s economy. “This research was compiled using a dynamic scoring model, which better reflects the reactions of people and businesses to government policies [and] presents a more meaningful estimate of how government tax, spending, and regulatory policies affect real-life decisions made by Louisianans…and how those decisions impact the larger economy.”
In The Ohio Model for Bail Reform: Retaining Local Flexibility and Saving Money, The Buckeye Institute looked at Summit County, which uses a verified risk-assessment tool to inform pretrial detention decisions. They found that Ohio could see an annual cost savings of more than $67 million if it reforms its cash bail system and gives judges greater flexibility to use proven, evidence-based, risk-assessment tools to assess the risk an individual poses to the community rather than relying on cash bail.
In a new study for the Mercatus Center at George Mason University The Buckeye Institute’s Rea S. Hederman Jr. and the Galen Institute’s Doug Badger argue that Congress and the administration should empower states to devise new ways to make health insurance more affordable for more people. “The paper offers new policy perspectives on stabilizing health insurance markets and offers concrete proposals to federal and state lawmakers and regulators for exploring innovative solutions, primarily through the 1332 waiver process.”
In The Buckeye Institute’s most recent policy brief, Broadband “GON” Wrong: Remembering Why Government-Owned Broadband Networks Are Bad for Taxpayers, Buckeye looks at the problems with government-owned and run networks and their high cost to taxpayers. “While these GONs might seem alluring, they frequently fail to live up to the promises made by government officials, and have often led to taxpayer subsidization to maintain operations.”
As the Ohio General Assembly prepares to consider the 2018 capital budget, The Buckeye Institute released Principled Spending: Using Ohio’s Capital Budget to Benefit Ohioans. The report outlines three principles policymakers should use in spending taxpayer dollars: constrain the growth of state government, eliminate corporate and special interest welfare, and focus spending on the core functions of state government. “By following these principles, Ohio policymakers will ensure they are wisely spending taxpayer dollars…”
Ohio ranks 35th out of all 50 states in this year’s Economic Freedom of North America report, released by 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. “The news is mixed for Ohio. The state has moved up a few spots this year, mostly due to Governor John Kasich’s tax reform efforts in 2015. Yet, overall Ohio still languishes in the bottom third of states…”
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.”
