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 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.”

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.”

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...” 

The Buckeye Institute commented after the Ohio House passed House Bill 96—Ohio’s biennial budget, which now goes to the Ohio Senate for consideration. “The budget passed by the Ohio House includes several good policies that prioritize the needs of Ohio’s K-12 students, improve Ohio’s higher education system, and put reasonable guardrails on the state’s ever-growing Medicaid program. However, this budget assumes a rosy financial picture that is not certain.”
 

The Buckeye Institute filed public comments with the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services supporting Ohio’s 1115 Medicaid Work and Community Engagement Waiver application that, if approved, will allow the state to implement work and education requirements for healthy adult Ohioans younger than 55 who receive Medicaid benefits. “Medicaid work and education requirements, which only apply to healthy working-age adults, help people stay connected to the workforce and find good paying jobs.”

The Buckeye Institute commented on the newly released jobs report from the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services, saying, “Better news came in the payroll survey, which revised January job numbers up by 5,000 and reported that 25,000 new private-sector jobs were added in February. These gains are a bright spot for the Ohio job market.”

In Crain’s Cleveland Business, The Buckeye Institute urges Governor Mike DeWine and the Ohio General Assembly to fix a faulty quirk in the state’s tax code. “The General Assembly should re-index the tax brackets to inflation and, this time, end the residual tax penalty, too…To offset potential lost revenue from eliminating the tax bump, state policymakers should take a few pages from The Buckeye Institute’s most recent Piglet Book…”

The Buckeye Institute reacted to Governor Mike DeWine’s 2025 State of the State speech, praising him for highlighting the need to cut regulations, reform Ohio’s energy policies, shift to outcomes-based funding in higher education, increase educational training, and restore the formerly incarcerated into the workforce. Buckeye was disappointed there was no mention of reining in Medicaid funding or of Ohio’s new school choice program, which has given lower- and middle-class families the chance to improve their children’s education and future.

The Buckeye Institute submitted written testimony to the Ohio Senate 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. “For almost 50 years, the government expected healthy adults to be in the labor force working or looking for work.”