The Buckeye Institute

Press Releases

Press Releases, Testimony & Public Comments

The Buckeye Institute: Occupational Licensing Requirements are an Obstacle to Economic Success

The Buckeye Institute testified before the Ohio Senate Government Oversight and Reform Committee on the policies in Senate Bill 79, and urged the state to remove barriers created by bureaucratic occupational licensing requirements that keep Ohioans from earning a living in their chosen profession. “The Buckeye Institute, the Heritage Foundation, the Brookings Institute, and the Obama Administration do not often all agree on an issue. However, we have all agreed on the need to relieve the burdens created by bureaucratic occupational licensing that afflict workers and families with low- to middle-incomes.”

Press Releases

“House Bill 289 Introduced, Buckeye Institute Weighs-In on the Need for Occupational Licensing Reform”

Reps. Robert McColley and Ron Hood introduced important legislation, which will reduce barriers to employment for thousands of Ohioans by requiring the state to impose the least restrictive type of occupational licensing regulation to ensure consumer protection. The Buckeye Institute has long spoken out on the need to reduce burdens created by bureaucratic occupational licensing, a position that is supported by the Heritage Foundation, Cato Institute, and Brookings Institute, and was supported by the Obama Administration.

Press Releases

Buckeye Institute Experts Weigh-In on Ohio Senate Passed Budget

The Ohio Senate passed its version of Ohio’s biennial budget this evening and experts from The Buckeye Institute issued their reactions on spending, the Senate’s Medicaid proposal, occupational licensing reform, and criminal justice reform. “The final Ohio Senate budget keeps spending on a tight leash by historical budget standards, which is a real accomplishment. However, there are many reductions that can still be made to ensure the budget remains balanced.”

Press Releases, Testimony & Public Comments

The Buckeye Institute Urges Ohio to Reduce Bureaucratic Occupational Licensing Requirements

The Buckeye Institute testified before the Ohio House Government Accountability and Oversight Committee, where it urged the state to remove barriers to employment for thousands of cosmetologists across Ohio. The policies, included in House Bill 189 would make Ohio more competitive, more prosperous, and more attractive to entrepreneurs and their employees. “With Ohio law currently requiring cosmetologists to have 10 times the training of basic EMTs, the need for licensing reform doesn’t get much clearer.”

Press Releases, Testimony & Public Comments

The Buckeye Institute Calls for Greater Education Choice and Opportunities for Ohio’s Families

The Buckeye Institute testified before the Ohio House Education and Career Readiness Committee on Opportunity Scholarship program and education savings accounts that are contained in House Bill 200. “Despite the exceptional resources devoted to schools and education over the last few decades, we have yet to see academic gains commensurate with those investments. At least one reason we seem unable to reap significant gains lies in our failure to adapt to the changing realities of our new century.”

Press Releases, Testimony & Public Comments

The Buckeye Institute Calls for Reduced Tax Burden on Out-of-State Emergency Workers

The Buckeye Institute submitted testimony to the Ohio House Public Utilities Committee on the policies in House Bill 133 and called for Ohio to eliminate the tax burden on out-of-state emergency workers who serve Ohio for fewer than 60 days during times of disaster. “According to the Tax Foundation, America’s leading non-partisan tax research organization, Ohio has the unfortunate distinction of owning the worst municipal income tax system in the country.”

Press Releases

The Buckeye Institute: Ohio’s Economy Stuck in Neutral in May

The Buckeye Institute commented on newly released unemployment data from the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services. “This month, the number of job seekers—people entering the labor force—slowed to a standstill, with the Ohio economy creating 6,300 jobs, most of which were in the government sector. However, we shouldn’t worry yet…This may just indicate that employers are finding it difficult to find suitable workers, which could benefit job seekers as employers could raise wages to attract the right talent.”

Press Releases

Buckeye Institute Praises Work of Criminal Justice Recodification Committee

The Criminal Justice Recodification Committee released its final report outlining recommendations to the Ohio General Assembly on how to fix Ohio’s criminal code. The report includes recommendations on sentencing reform, drug law reform, and policies that can assist former offenders on their journey to stay on the straight and narrow. “Lots of experience and brain power went into this report. And we hope policymakers will use it to make Ohio safer and more just.”

Press Releases

“At White House, The Buckeye Institute and Ohio Senate President Obhof Call for Greater Flexibility for the States on Health Care Reforms”

The Buckeye Institute, along with Ohio’s Senate President Larry Obhof, attended a White House meeting that included legislative leaders from several states as well as nationally-recognized health care policy experts to discuss the concerns and needs of the states on health care reform. Ohio’s delegation to the meeting were there to request more flexibility from Washington for the states to have more control over managing their own health care. Similar requests had previously been blocked by the Obama Administration.

Press Releases

Buckeye Institute Experts Weigh-In on Senate Version of Ohio’s Budget

The Ohio Senate announced its version of the biennial budget today and experts from The Buckeye Institute issued their reactions. “The Buckeye Institute is pleased with some of the additional positive steps made by the Ohio Senate in their first crack at the state budget. Additional agency spending reductions, the elimination of some earmarks, and lower Medicaid appropriations are all moves in the right direction.”

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