The Buckeye Institute appreciates the immense honor of having former Federal Elections Commission chairman Bradley A. Smith chair our board of trustees. Smith’s “Last Lecture: Why We Study Law” event in Columbus, Ohio, was co-sponsored by The Federalist Society. Many of his present and former students, colleagues, and friends attended, alongside a sizable contingent of Buckeye staff. Professor Smith is retiring from his illustrious career as Capital University School of Law’s Josiah H. Blackmore II/Shirley M. Nault Professor of Law after this semester.

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.”

In Kathmandu, Robert Alt sat down for an interview with Nepal’s premier business magazine, Business 360, for a conversation about free market ideas, public policy, and the lessons mountaineering can offer to those working to shape a more prosperous and accountable future.

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.”

Surprised by your recent property tax bill? You might not be alone. Ohio ranks 13th in the nation for local tax rates, and as property values rise, many regional homeowners are feeling a pinch. While Ohio schools take a big slice of tax revenues, property taxes also fund a long list of other services. Greg R. Lawson, a research fellow at The Buckeye Institute, joined the Columbus Metropolitan Club’s Forum “Taxed & Confused: Making Sense of Rising Property Taxes in Ohio” to discuss property taxes in Ohio.

The Buckeye Institute sent a demand letter to the state leadership of the Ohio Civil Service Employees Association insisting that it investigate Tim Federkiel, president of AFSCME/OCSEA Chapter 2200, for violating the Janus rights of The Buckeye Institute’s client Ryan Smith, a United States Marine Corps combat veteran. Given Mr. Federkiel’s actions, Buckeye demanded that OCSEA rescind any agreement between Mr. Smith, the union, and any of its affiliates, including any membership application or dues deduction authorization.

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 filed an amicus brief in Wolford v. Lopez, calling on the U.S. Supreme Court to hear the case and tell lower courts they are bound by the U.S. Supreme Court’s rulings on the Second Amendment. In its brief, The Buckeye Institute urged the U.S. Supreme Court to grant the petition and reverse the U.S. Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, sending a clear message to lower courts that they must respect and follow U.S. Supreme Court precedent.

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.”

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.”