Columbus, OH – On Tuesday, The Buckeye Institute joined Representative Jena Powell, Representative George Lang, Senator Kristina Roegner, Senator Rob McColley, as well as Arizona’s Goldwater Institute in calling for Ohio to adopt full occupational licensing reciprocity, which will remove needless occupational licensing barriers for Ohioans.

“Ohio should not make it unnecessarily difficult for people to move to Ohio and to earn a living here. Full occupational licensing reciprocity, which is modeled on a Goldwater Institute-championed policy adopted in Arizona, will do just that,” said Robert Alt, president and chief executive officer of The Buckeye Institute. “The Buckeye Institute applauds Representative Jena Powell, Representative George Lang, Senator Kristina Roegner, and Senator Rob McColley for their commitment to this important issue and thanks all of the other co-sponsors as well.”

“In Arizona, we recognized that occupational licensing reciprocity was a critical economic development tool that would not only attract businesses but would remove needless bureaucratic burdens from the shoulders of Arizonans,” said Victor Riches, president and chief executive officer of the Goldwater Institute. “With the leadership that The Buckeye Institute has shown on occupational licensing reform, it is no surprise that Ohio is looking to join Arizona as a national leader in adopting full license reciprocity.”

The House bill, sponsored by representatives Powell and Lang, and the Senate bill, sponsored by senators Roegner and McColley, will ensure that occupational licenses workers earn in other states will be fully recognized by the state of Ohio regardless of whether Ohio has an explicit reciprocity agreement with the other state. The bills will also ensure that work experience in another state will count toward earning an occupational license in Ohio. Arizona led the nation in adopting a similar policy based on the Goldwater Institute’s work in that state.

The Buckeye Institute’s research—Forbidden to Succeed, Still Forbidden to Succeed and Increasing Job Opportunities for Military Families—has led to significant reforms such as Senate Bill 255, which was adopted in January 2019, and Senate Bill 7, which unanimously passed the Ohio House on October 24, 2019.

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