Columbus, OH – Recognizing the critical need for occupational licensing reform in Ohio, Greg R. Lawson, a research fellow at The Buckeye Institute, issued the following statement after Senator Rob McColley’s (SD-1) sponsor testimony on Senate Bill 255 before the Ohio House Federalism and Interstate Relations Committee.

“I would like to thank Senator Rob McColley for his leadership on this important policy reform. Ohio’s burdensome occupational licensing requirements make it harder for Ohioans to get good paying jobs, get raises, and earn promotions—most especially for young and minority workers, and those without college diplomas. 

“State permission slip policies reduce jobs in Ohio and making it more expensive to find work exacerbates the problem. Bipartisan reformers across the nation have joined forces to increase opportunities for workers, and Ohio has a chance to join with them. Groups from across the political spectrum—including the Heritage Foundation, National Bureau of Economic Research, the Brookings Institute’s Hamilton Project, and Democrat and Republican administrations—have all called for the elimination of un-necessary and burdensome occupational licensing requirements.

“It’s time to fix Ohio’s broken system and give Ohio legislators the power to rigorously review existing and new licensing laws.”

The Buckeye Institute has been at the forefront of calling for occupational licensing reform. The Institute’s reports, Forbidden to Succeed: How Licensure Laws Hold Ohioans Back and Still Forbidden to Succeed: The Negative Effects of Occupational Licensing on Ohio’s Workforce, have outlined the negative impacts of occupational licensing on workers and job creation.

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