The Buckeye Institute testified before the Ohio House Technology and Innovation Committee on the policies in Ohio House Bill 646, a “timely and commendable initiative” that creates a Data Center Study Commission to assess the impact of data centers in Ohio. In the testimony, Buckeye noted a Data Center Study Commission could “help dispel inaccurate myths, better inform communities about data center benefits, including job creation and tax revenue.”

The Buckeye Institute submitted a public comment to the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services offering its recommendations on how the state can better align its workforce, education, and employment programs. Buckeye urged policymakers to enhance financial stability and economic mobility for Ohio families, offer clear paths to high-demand careers, and ensure a reliable road to self-sufficiency, with every promotion signifying real financial progress.

The Buckeye Institute submitted written testimony to the Columbus City Council on its proposed rental registry ordinance, which will “raise housing costs for Columbus renters.” In his testimony, Greg R. Lawson, a senior research fellow at The Buckeye Institute, noted that while “improving housing conditions and safety is laudable and understandable,” the “proposed ordinance will be more harmful than beneficial.”

The Buckeye Institute testified before the Ohio Senate Energy Committee on the policies in Ohio Senate Bill 294, which, combined with other recent energy policy reforms, will make Ohio a “national energy policy leader.” In his testimony, Greg R. Lawson, a senior research fellow at The Buckeye Institute, noted that Senate Bill 294 “furthers the state’s effort to supply low-cost, reliable electricity.”

In The Lima News, The Buckeye Institute outlines the household debt crisis facing millions of Americans. “The average Ohio household now carries more than $9,000 in credit card debt alone, and delinquency is increasing,” warns The Buckeye Institute. “Professional debt settlement may offer some borrowers a third way to reduce balances with creditors and avoid disruptive bankruptcy, but Ohio’s outdated debt-settlement laws restrict that option and should be revised.”

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 testified before the Ohio House Ways and Means Committee on the policies in Ohio House Bill 503, which, if adopted, will improve Ohio’s municipal income tax system. Buckeye noted that “Ohio’s municipal income tax system remains one of, if not the worst local tax structure in the entire nation,” and House Bill 503’s commonsense reforms align with the “foundational American principle that taxes and tax increases should not be imposed without taxpayer consent.”

The Buckeye Institute submitted written testimony to the Ohio Senate Local Government Committee on the policies in Ohio House Bill 335, which, if adopted, will help ease property tax burdens on Ohioans. Buckeye urged lawmakers to reform local government, as recommended by The Buckeye Institute, to help lower property taxes. The policies in House Bill 335 are “sorely needed to protect Ohio taxpayers from an outmoded, undemocratic system that has cost them dearly.”

The Buckeye Institute submitted written testimony to the Ohio Senate Local Government Committee on the policies in Ohio House Bill 186, which will help rein in unvoted property tax increases. Buckeye urged lawmakers to reform local government, as recommended by The Buckeye Institute, to help ease property tax burdens on Ohioans and noted that House Bill 186 takes a “decisive step toward a more efficient local government structure and property tax system.”

After filing an amicus brief in Columbus City School District v. State of Ohio defending school choice in Ohio, The Buckeye Institute demonstrated in The Columbus Dispatch how Ohio’s popular voucher programs benefit parents and students. “The public and the General Assembly understand that parents need more freedom to choose the right learning environment for their kids — not less. It’s a shame some school districts still don’t.”