Robert Alt, president and CEO of The Buckeye Institute, joins Case in Point host Hans von Spakovsky to discuss Buckeye’s lawsuit against the IRS—Buckeye v. IRS—and the dangers posed to the privacy of the public by IRS regulations and mishandling of taxpayer information. They also delve into Robert’s experience as a mountain climber and his recent ascent of Mt. Everest. 

In The Washington Times, The Buckeye Institute and Americans for Prosperity-Ohio put a spotlight on Ohio’s recent energy policy reforms as a standard for policymakers nationwide. “Ohio’s sweeping energy policy reforms have taken a bold, market-based turn that state and federal policymakers would be wise to follow. Evolving from Rust Belt factories to a high-tech haven, Ohio has seen the technological future, and it needs energy — reliable, affordable energy — and a lot of it.”

At Cleveland.com, The Buckeye Institute calls on lawmakers to re-establish a committee to review all of Ohio’s tax loopholes, writing, “While not all tax expenditures should be eliminated, they should all be reviewed to ensure they are accomplishing the goals for which they were created. And closing loopholes —as recommended by The Buckeye Institute — would allow lawmakers to pursue broad-based tax reform benefiting all Ohioans, not merely the well-connected few.”

The Buckeye Institute marks Constitution Day with a piece in The Columbus Dispatch, writing, “When Benjamin Franklin was asked what form of government the American framers had created, he wryly replied, ‘A republic, if you can keep it.’ This Constitution Day, on the brink of celebrating the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, it is fitting to wonder whether we have, in fact, kept what the Founders gave us — and how.”

“Ohio workers and families have much to celebrate,” writes The Buckeye Institute in Crain’s Cleveland Business. “Despite the state and national unemployment rate climbing, the state’s economy continues to rise and overcome broader challenges by embracing new technologies and attracting new and growing firms. Policymakers have pursued pro-growth energy and tax reforms that make Ohio more attractive to employers and more rewarding to employees. More work remains to be done, but Ohio is still at the heart of it all.”
 

Legend holds that the Gordian Knot was so intricately woven that for centuries no one could untie it. Tired of trying, Alexander the Great drew his sword and cut it. His reward was eternal glory. Today, Ohio homeowners and policymakers struggle with their own Gordian Knot of sorts — the state’s complex system of local government, public services, and escalating property taxes. The expensive tangle prevents young families from purchasing homes and threatens many fixed-income seniors with losing theirs.

In National Review, The Buckeye Institute applauds Ohio’s new flat income tax—the second-lowest in the country, writing, “A flat tax regime is well worth defending. Greater economic growth, higher productivity, and a more competitive and transparent tax code that helps voters hold their officials accountable are immediate benefits of flat tax systems. Ohio may be just the latest to jump on the bandwagon, but there are still plenty of seats available.”

In a July 24, 2025, editorial, Crain’s Cleveland Business wrote that the Property Tax Reform Working Group would “[D]o well to take seriously a list of recommendations from The Buckeye Institute.” The Buckeye Institute outlined 10 specific recommendations to reform local government and reduce the soaring property tax burden afflicting Ohio homeowners.

The Newark Advocate featured an article on Ream v. U.S. Department of Treasury, The Buckeye Institute’s case challenging the federal government’s ban on home distilling, arguing that this ban exceeds Congressional authority under Article I of the U.S. Constitution and violates the Tenth Amendment. Buckeye is representing John Ream, of Licking County, Ohio. Read more about The Buckeye Institute’s case and stay up-to-date on its progress at: BuckeyeInstitute.org/ReamvUSTreasury.

Robert Alt’s, president and chief executive officer of The Buckeye Institute and founder of PROFOUND CLIMBING^TM, summit of Mt. Everest is featured in The Columbus Dispatch. Robert never got to complete a major climbing expedition with his father when he was alive. He is now on a journey to bring his father’s ashes to the Seven Summits — the highest mountain on each continent.