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.” 

Legend holds that the Gordian Knot was so intricately woven that for centuries no one could untie it. Tired of trying, Alexander the Great drew his sword and cut it. His reward was eternal glory. Today, Ohio homeowners and policymakers struggle with their own Gordian Knot of sorts — the state’s complex system of local government, public services, and escalating property taxes. The expensive tangle prevents young families from purchasing homes and threatens many fixed-income seniors with losing theirs.

Due to The Buckeye Institute’s unrelenting defense of the U.S. and Ohio constitutions, the Champaign County Agriculture Society Board has rescinded its unconstitutional policy that banned firearms on county fairgrounds. Buckeye’s efforts to overturn this constitutional violation started in January 2025 and culminated in a victory for all those visiting the county fairgrounds. “This victory is for all those visiting the county fairgrounds who can now freely exercise their constitutional rights while enjoying a uniquely American tradition.”

In public comments, The Buckeye Institute urged the U.S. EPA to ensure Americans have access to reliable energy sources and repeal its impractical emission standards for new and existing power plants. In its comments, The Buckeye Institute: 1) outlines how the EPA’s unworkable emission standards threaten the availability of reliable and affordable electricity, and 2) offers an impact analysis that is grounded in feasibility, measurable outcomes, and realistic compliance outcomes. 

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 filed an amicus brief in Diemert v. City of Seattle, urging the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit to look to Justice John Marshall Harlan’s dissent in Plessy v. Ferguson and his expansive view of the 14th Amendment to end discriminatory workplace equity initiatives, which violate the U.S. Constitution and the U.S. Civil Rights Act of 1964. “By recognizing the wisdom in Justice Harlan’s Plessy dissent, this court can move us towards the color-blind Constitution and the America that Harlan envisioned.”

In a July 24, 2025, editorial, Crain’s Cleveland Business wrote that the Property Tax Reform Working Group would “[D]o well to take seriously a list of recommendations from The Buckeye Institute.” The Buckeye Institute outlined 10 specific recommendations to reform local government and reduce the soaring property tax burden afflicting Ohio homeowners.

The Buckeye Institute commented after Attorney General Dave Yost filed Ohio’s notice of appeal in Columbus City School District v. Ohio, defending the constitutionality of Ohio’s EdChoice voucher program. “As one of Ohio’s earliest school choice leaders, The Buckeye Institute has long stood for putting students first, and we fully support Ohio’s elected leaders in their strong defense of a vital program that serves more than 100,000 students and their families across the state.”

As Governor Mike DeWine’s Property Tax Reform Working Group begins its work, The Buckeye Institute outlined 10 specific recommendations to reform local government and reduce the soaring property tax burden afflicting Ohio homeowners. “Tough choices are needed…, and The Buckeye Institute’s work offers the Property Tax Reform Working Group a roadmap to real reform that will lower property taxes while maintaining critical local government services.”
 

The Buckeye Institute filed its appeal brief in Sheldon v. Ohio Association of Public School Employees (OAPSE) with Ohio’s Seventh District Court of Appeals, calling on the court to reverse the lower court’s dismissal of the case and end the union’s wage theft practices. The Buckeye Institute represents Matthew Sheldon of Carrollton, Ohio, in Sheldon v. OAPSE—one of seven union wage theft cases brought by The Buckeye Institute. Stay up-to-date on Sheldon v. OAPSE at: BuckeyeInstitute.org/SheldonvOAPSE.