The Buckeye Institute commented after the budget conference committee report was passed by the Ohio House of Representatives and the Ohio Senate. House Bill 96—Ohio’s biennial budget—now goes to Governor DeWine for his signature. “The budget that passed both chambers of the Ohio General Assembly contains a lot of good, pro-growth policies—a flat income tax, closing tax loopholes, reining in Medicaid, and smart property tax reforms…”

The Buckeye Institute testified before the Ohio House Ways and Means Committee on the policies in Ohio House Bill 335, which, if adopted, will be a bold, decisive, and much-needed step towards comprehensive property tax reform in Ohio. In the testimony, The Buckeye Institute noted that the policies in House Bill 335 are “sorely needed to protect Ohio taxpayers from an outmoded, undemocratic system that has cost them dearly.

In The Columbus Dispatch, The Buckeye Institute offers a better plan to address Ohio’s high property taxes—local government reform. “The road to property tax recovery and good economic health doesn’t require the constitutional abolition of property taxes, but it does require county commissioner approval for all local levies, streamlining village dissolutions to remove unnecessary local layers more quickly, and eliminating special property tax breaks that benefit developers at the expense of homeowners.”

As the Budget Conference Committee begins its work on Ohio’s biennial budget and analyzes some hotly-contested issues, The Buckeye Institute released Keep, Cut, Change, its recommendations for which version of the budget—governor’s, House, or Senate—lawmakers should adopt and what should be cut or changed. “By adopting The Buckeye Institute’s recommendations, policymakers will achieve effective policy outcomes that benefit all Ohioans.”

The Buckeye Institute submitted written testimony to the Ohio House Health Committee on the policies in Ohio House Bill 52, which, if adopted, will increase the supply of medical providers in the Buckeye State. House Bill 52 will “ease the pain of some care provider shortages by allowing certified registered nurse anesthesiologists (CRNA) to practice to the full extent of their medical training and collaborate with physicians.”

The Buckeye Institute testified before the Ohio Senate Finance Committee on the policies in Ohio Substitute House Bill 96—Ohio’s biennial budget. In the testimony, The Buckeye Institute, noted that “[s]ignificant growth in Medicaid and education spending—the two largest budget items—could prove especially dangerous to the state’s long-term fiscal health and make it difficult, if not impossible, to maintain pro-growth tax policies like those adopted in the last budget.”

The Buckeye Institute testified before the Ohio Senate Education Committee on the K-12 budget in Ohio House Bill 96—Ohio’s biennial budget. In his testimony, Greg R. Lawson, a research fellow at The Buckeye Institute, noted that “putting students first means funding students rather than systems” and praised this budget for doing just that. 

The Buckeye Institute testified before the Ohio House Medicaid Committee in support of Ohio’s proposed Medicaid waiver, which enhances the program’s integrity and promotes economic stability, financial independence, and improved health outcomes. In his testimony, Greg R. Lawson, a research fellow at The Buckeye Institute, reminded lawmakers that Congress designed Medicaid to offer healthcare to “those unlikely to be employed, such as expectant mothers, the elderly, disabled adults, and children.”

For The James Martin Center for Academic Renewal, The Buckeye Institute looks at Ohio’s recent success with higher education reform and what more can be done. “Ohio students deserve educational institutions—especially those of higher learning—committed to their long-term success… More work remains to be done, but, in the fight for the future of higher education, Ohio seems poised to finally put its students first.”

The Buckeye Institute submitted written testimony to the Ohio Senate Energy Committee on the policies in Ohio House Bill 15, which, if adopted, would help ensure a healthy supply of affordable, reliable energy to meet growing demand. In his testimony, Greg R. Lawson, a research fellow at The Buckeye Institute, noted that the policies in the bill adhere to the “sound energy policies recommended [] by The Buckeye Institute and Americans for Prosperity.”