The Buckeye Institute sent a proposed amendment to the Ohio Supreme Court to license legal paraprofessionals and help the more than 6.5 million Ohioans living in areas with an insufficient number of attorneys gain access to legal assistance and advice. “Chief Justice Kennedy has consistently acknowledged that Ohioans living in small communities and rural areas do not have easy access to qualified legal professionals who can help with basic legal needs. The Buckeye Institute’s proposed amendment takes a crucial step toward addressing Ohio’s legal deserts.”

The Buckeye Institute commented on the December 2025 jobs report from the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services, saying, “With national job gains slowing, Ohio’s sluggish private-sector job growth is not surprising. And while the unemployment rate is strong by historical measures, more Ohioans need to be in the job market, and more jobs need to be created if Ohio, its communities, and its workers are going to thrive.”

The Buckeye Institute filed an amicus brief with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit in Relentless v. U.S. Department of Commerce, calling on the court to reverse the lower court’s ruling and throw out a U.S. Department of Commerce rule that forces commercial fishermen to house, feed, and pay the salaries of their government-mandated monitors. In reaching its decision, the lower court ignored the U.S. Supreme Court’s landmark decision overturning the Chevron doctrine—judicial deference to executive agencies’ interpretation of the law.

The Buckeye Institute filed its appeal brief in DuPuis v. American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) with Ohio’s Sixth District Court of Appeals, calling on the court to reverse the lower court’s dismissal of the case and end the union’s wage theft practices. “Ohio’s Constitution is clear, ‘All courts shall be open, and every person…shall have justice administered without denial or delay.’” 

After The Buckeye Institute-championed Ohio House Bill 15—the best energy reform policy in a generation—was signed into law, the state has attracted more than $4 billion in private investment with six projects that will generate nearly 2,000 MW of energy already approved by the Ohio Power Siting Board or moving through the approval process.

The Buckeye Institute filed a supplemental brief in Ream v. U.S. Department of Treasury—its case seeking to overturn the federal ban on home distilling—in response to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit ordering the government to address the constitutional claims at stake.

After The Buckeye Institute filed its appeal asking the Ohio Supreme Court to hear Sheldon v. OAPSE, Freedom Foundation, Liberty Justice Center, Mackinac Center for Public Policy, and National Right to Work Legal Defense Foundation filed an amicus brief in support of The Buckeye Institute’s client Matthew Sheldon, urging the court to take the case and put an end to illegal union wage theft.

The Buckeye Institute commented on the November 2025 jobs report from the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services, saying, “Despite the improved unemployment rate, November’s private-sector employment is 14,000 jobs below August’s peak, confirming that Ohio’s job market is weakening.” The federal government shutdown led to the cancellation of the October jobs report and a delay in the release of the November report. 

The Buckeye Institute commented after Governor Mike DeWine signed a trio of bills—House Bill 186, House Bill 309, and House Bill 335—which will help lower property taxes on Ohioans. “The Buckeye Institute applauds the General Assembly and Governor DeWine for giving Ohio taxpayers the biggest property tax reform in half a century...These Buckeye Institute-recommended policies will help homeowners struggling with skyrocketing property tax bills.”

The Buckeye Institute filed its fourth amicus brief with the Ohio Supreme Court in Bowling v. DeWine, urging the court to affirm, once and for all, that Ohio’s Cooperation Statute does not require the governor to accept federal money every time it is offered. The statute is crystal clear in stating that nothing “precludes the director from ceasing to participate in any voluntary, optional, special, or emergency program offered by the federal government.”