The U.S. Supreme Court issued its decision in Biden v. Nebraska, ruling that President Biden’s student loan debt cancellation plan is unconstitutional, agreeing with arguments The Buckeye Institute made in its amicus brief and its case Latta v. U.S. Department of Education. In a 6-3 decision, the court said, “The text of the HEROES Act does not authorize the Secretary’s loan forgiveness program.”
The Buckeye Institute filed an amicus brief in Culley v. Marshall, calling on the U.S. Supreme Court to protect the due process rights of Americans against unconstitutional civil asset forfeiture laws. “Alabama’s civil asset forfeiture law, and others like it, create a powerful financial incentive to abuse state police powers—in violation of due process—to seize valuable property on the mere suspicion of criminal wrongdoing.”
The Buckeye Institute filed an amicus brief in Montana Medical Association v. Knudsen, calling on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth District to protect states from the expansion of federal regulations without congressional approval. In its brief, Buckeye argues that the federal district court’s ruling dangerously expands the scope of the Americans with Disabilities Act and the Occupational Safety and Health Act far beyond what the laws allow.
As the Conference Committee begins its work on Ohio’s biennial budget and analyzes some hotly-contested issues, The Buckeye Institute released its Keep, Cut, Change policy guidance memo with recommendations for which version of the budget—Executive, House, or Senate—lawmakers should adopt and what should be cut or changed. “To help guide lawmakers in their negotiations … The Buckeye Institute offers its Keep, Cut, Change roadmap to achieve effective policy outcomes that will benefit all Ohioans.”;
The Buckeye Institute and Professor Richard A. Epstein jointly filed an amicus brief in 74 Pinehurst v. New York City, calling on the U.S. Supreme Court to hear this case and protect property owners from unconstitutional government “regulatory takings” that are imposed through rent-control schemes. “A perennial candidate infamously lamented that rent in New York was ‘too damn high.’ He was right. Rent control laws violate the Fifth Amendment’s takings clause and limit housing stock, which causes market distortions.”
The Buckeye Institute is a finalist for the prestigious Bob Williams Award for Outstanding Policy Achievement in the category of Best State-Based Litigation, which celebrates think tanks doing exceptional work. The Buckeye Institute’s cases—particularly Schaad v. Alder—which challenge Ohio’s pandemic-era emergency municipal income tax system were selected among the entries. “We are honored even to be nominated as a finalist for the Bob Williams Awards for Outstanding Policy Achievement for The Buckeye Institute’s work relentlessly advancing our cases to protect Ohio taxpayers from unconstitutional tax schemes.”
The Buckeye Institute commented on the newly released jobs report from the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services, saying, “The strength of Ohio’s job market continued to set records as unemployment fell to a new record low of 3.6 percent, down from 3.7 percent…Private-sector businesses added 5,900 workers to their payroll in May, continuing the growth seen in April. And over the past few months, both the household and payroll surveys are telling the same story—Ohio’s job market remains strong.”
The Buckeye Institute commented after the Ohio Senate passed its version of House Bill 33, Ohio’s biennial budget, saying, “The Ohio Senate budget includes the boldest school choice expansion in Ohio history, empowering families to find the educational setting that best fits their children’s needs. The Senate budget also returns money to taxpayers through significant tax cuts and puts stronger guardrails on future spending to protect taxpayer dollars.”
The Buckeye Institute testified on the policies in Ohio Senate Bill 122, which will set consistent statewide conditions for defendants being released on bail while they await trial—just as voters authorized when they overwhelmingly passed Issue 1 in 2022. The bill will make “Ohio’s pre-trial procedures more consistent with the Fourteenth Amendment’s due process protections and the Sixth Amendment’s guarantee of the right to a speedy trial” and will put Ohio on “the long road to comprehensive bail reform.”
The Buckeye Institute filed an amicus brief in Acheson Hotels v. Laufer, calling on the U.S. Supreme Court to safeguard the American judicial system from abuse and send a clear message that lawsuits must be based on actual injury or harm. “The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) serves a laudable goal, but this case is not about the ADA. This case is about the abuse of America’s judicial system.”
