The Buckeye Institute testified before the Ohio Senate Health Committee on the policies in Ohio House Bill 52, which, if adopted, will help ease Ohio’s care provider shortage. House Bill 52, Buckeye points out, 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 submitted written testimony to the Ohio House Insurance Committee on the policies in Ohio House Bill 192, urging lawmakers to adopt “sound, market-based reforms that will lower regulatory barriers to healthcare, encourage drug innovation, help maintain drug affordability, and improve patient health.” Some policies in House Bill 192, which imposes a minimum government-mandated dispensing fee on Ohio pharmacies, will “likely raise consumer prices at the pharmacy rather than lower them.”

The Buckeye Institute testified before the Ohio Senate Health Committee on the policies in Ohio Senate Bill 198, which should be tailored narrowly to make the opaque 340B drug pricing program more transparent. Rea S. Hederman, vice president of policy at The Buckeye Institute, noted that Senate Bill 198 “makes a noble effort to help Ohio’s community health centers,” and urged the committee to ensure “that any action Ohio takes does not undermine program sustainability or raise costs.”

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.”

The Buckeye Institute commented on the newly released jobs report from the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services, saying,  “In August, Ohio’s unemployment rate remained flat at five percent, while the labor force participation rate declined slightly to 62.5 percent as more Ohioans left the workforce. This continues a trend where the national job market—which also weakened in August—remains stronger than Ohio’s… The silver lining is that the private sector continues to add jobs in Ohio, averaging 6,000 new jobs a month.”

“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.”
 

The Buckeye Institute commented on the newly released jobs report from the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services, saying, “In a concerning sign, Ohio’s unemployment rate increased to five percent in July, and the labor force participation rate fell to 62.6 percent, indicating that Ohioans looking for work are not finding jobs. While the national job market is still performing better than Ohio’s, July’s national jobs report also saw a climbing unemployment rate and falling labor force participation rate.” 

Featuring: Rea Hederman, The Buckeye Institute; Melissa Landry, Pelican Institute for Public Policy; Russell Withers, Texas Conservative Caucus Research Institute; moderated by Josiah Neeley, R Street Institute.

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.”

The Buckeye Institute commented on the newly released jobs report from the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services, saying, “In a positive sign, Ohio’s private-sector hiring surged in June, adding 11,600 new jobs, erasing the 6,300 job loss in May…Along with the positive signs, there is concern. Ohio lags the national average and needs to generate more job opportunities for Ohioans.”