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Rea S. Hederman Jr.

Energy Policy in the States: Recent Developments

Rea S. Hederman Jr. July 31, 2025

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.

The Buckeye Institute: Private-Sector Hiring Weakens in May

Rea S. Hederman Jr. June 20, 2025

The Buckeye Institute commented on the newly released jobs report, saying, “While Ohio’s unemployment rate and labor force participation rate remained flat in May, at 4.9 percent and 62.7 percent, respectively, Ohio private-sector employers lost 6,300 jobs, primarily in retail trade, hotel, and restaurant industries. Private-sector hiring in Ohio was strong through the first four months of 2025, and the May job loss is a step back, particularly as the nation added 140,000 private-sector jobs.”

The Buckeye Institute Comments on Senate-Passed State Budget

Rea S. Hederman Jr. June 11, 2025

The Buckeye Institute commented after the Ohio Senate passed House Bill 96—Ohio’s biennial budget, which now goes to the conference committee. “The Ohio Senate passed a pro-growth budget that includes tax reform, greater fiscal constraint, and the most robust local government reforms of any budget yet this century. While no budget is perfect, and there is more lawmakers can do to rein in the expansion of Medicaid and focus education funding on students first, this budget offers a positive blueprint for Ohio’s increasingly challenging economic times.”

The Buckeye Institute: Private Sector Job Growth Continues in April

Rea S. Hederman Jr. May 16, 2025

The Buckeye Institute commented on the newly released jobs report from the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services, saying, “Ohio’s private sector added 20,900 new jobs in April, easily offsetting the small, 2,500 downward revision to the March report. With April’s report, Ohio’s private sector employment is averaging 15,000 new jobs a month, indicating that businesses intend to hire at a strong clip in 2025.”

The Buckeye Institute-Championed HB15 Signed into Law

Rea S. Hederman Jr. May 15, 2025

The Buckeye Institute commented after Governor Mike DeWine signed Ohio House Bill 15 into law. “With the signing of House Bill 15, Ohio is now a national leader in smart, free-market energy policy. While more work remains to ensure cost transparency and protect consumers from overpaying for costly infrastructure, The Buckeye Institute-championed policies are pro-consumer and pro-business—ending costly, uncompetitive subsidies, bringing back greater predictability in public utility rate cases, and incentivizing new energy development.”

The Buckeye Institute Comments on the General Assembly Passing HB15

Rea S. Hederman Jr. April 30, 2025

Rea S. Hederman Jr., executive director of the Economic Research Center and vice president of policy at The Buckeye Institute, commented after the Ohio General Assembly passed Ohio House Bill 15. Once signed, the policies in the bill will help ensure a healthy supply of affordable, reliable energy to meet growing demand. The bill now goes to Governor DeWine for his signature. “The passage of Ohio House Bill 15 is the best news for Ohioans worried about affordable, reliable energy in more than a quarter of a century.”

A more competitive, more transparent, less subsidized energy market is needed

Rea S. Hederman Jr. April 18, 2025

In The Columbus Dispatch, The Buckeye Institute calls for a more competitive, more transparent, less subsidized energy market, writing, “The rapidly evolving 21st century economy runs on electricity and demand for reliable power shows no signs of abating. Without affordable electricity, Ohio risks losing economic market share to states with more energy and lower energy prices. That’s an avoidable risk not worth taking.”
 

The Buckeye Institute: March Jobs Report Sends Mixed Signals

Rea S. Hederman Jr. April 18, 2025

The Buckeye Institute commented on the newly released jobs report, saying, “In March, Ohio’s unemployment rate continued to climb to 4.8 percent, up from 4.7 percent. At the same time, the national unemployment rate increased from 4.1 to 4.2 percent. However, the labor force participation rate increased again to 62.6 percent, the highest rate in six months, outpacing the national average of 62.5 percent.”

Mississippi’s bold tax reform will pay dividends

Rea S. Hederman Jr. and Vance Ginn April 16, 2025

In The Center Square, The Buckeye Institute and the Mississippi Center for Public Policy look at Mississippi’s bold tax reform, writing, “No one likes paying taxes. April 15th is a time of dread for most taxpayers. But this April, Mississippians have a reason to cheer because of the state legislature’s actions and Gov. Tate Reeves. Mississippi is poised to become one of the top ten states for income tax policy and can look forward to more jobs and economic prosperity for generations.”

The Buckeye Institute: AI Reg Sandbox Can Lower Costs, Cut Red Tape, Advance Healthcare Technology

Rea S. Hederman Jr. April 10, 2025

In a new policy brief, Advancing Healthcare Technology, The Buckeye Institute urges lawmakers to create a “regulatory sandbox” so that AI innovators can develop new medical technologies in a flexible, safe regulatory environment that lowers costs and cuts red tape. An AI healthcare sandbox “will allow healthcare providers, AI developers, and policymakers to collaborate and responsibly test novel technologies related to drug development, medical imaging, disease diagnosis, gene therapy, medical research, and health data management...”