The Buckeye Institute testified before the Ohio House Ways and Means Committee on the policies in Ohio House Bill 503, which, if adopted, will improve Ohio’s municipal income tax system. Buckeye noted that “Ohio’s municipal income tax system remains one of, if not the worst local tax structure in the entire nation,” and House Bill 503’s commonsense reforms align with the “foundational American principle that taxes and tax increases should not be imposed without taxpayer consent.”

The Buckeye Institute submitted written testimony to the Ohio House Judiciary Committee on the policies in Ohio House Bill 211, which, if adopted, will require judges to “consider an offender’s status as the primary caretaker of a child” when issuing sentences. Buckeye lauded lawmakers for “balancing the need to punish offenders and the responsibility of ensuring that they become productive members of society,” pointing out that “House Bill 211 takes another modest but meaningful step” in that same direction.

The Buckeye Institute testified before the Ohio Senate Health Committee on the policies in Ohio House Bill 52, which, if adopted, will help ease Ohio’s care provider shortage. House Bill 52, Buckeye points out, will “ease the pain of some care provider shortages by allowing certified registered nurse anesthesiologists (CRNA) to practice to the full extent of their medical training and collaborate with physicians.” 

The Buckeye Institute submitted written testimony to the Ohio House Insurance Committee on the policies in Ohio House Bill 192, urging lawmakers to adopt “sound, market-based reforms that will lower regulatory barriers to healthcare, encourage drug innovation, help maintain drug affordability, and improve patient health.” Some policies in House Bill 192, which imposes a minimum government-mandated dispensing fee on Ohio pharmacies, will “likely raise consumer prices at the pharmacy rather than lower them.”

The Buckeye Institute replied to a request for information from the U.S. Department of Energy outlining how the United States can accelerate the development of large-scale energy infrastructure projects to meet the nation’s growing energy needs. In its comments, The Buckeye Institute urged the Trump administration to remove “[r]egulatory barriers imped[ing] the U.S. electric grid from meeting new energy demands,” and allow private capital and market-driven innovation to address growing electricity demand. 

The Buckeye Institute submitted written testimony to the Ohio Senate Local Government Committee on the policies in Ohio House Bill 335, which, if adopted, will help ease property tax burdens on Ohioans. Buckeye urged lawmakers to reform local government, as recommended by The Buckeye Institute, to help lower property taxes. The policies in House Bill 335 are “sorely needed to protect Ohio taxpayers from an outmoded, undemocratic system that has cost them dearly.”

The Buckeye Institute submitted written testimony to the Ohio Senate Local Government Committee on the policies in Ohio House Bill 186, which will help rein in unvoted property tax increases. Buckeye urged lawmakers to reform local government, as recommended by The Buckeye Institute, to help ease property tax burdens on Ohioans and noted that House Bill 186 takes a “decisive step toward a more efficient local government structure and property tax system.”

The Buckeye Institute testified before the Ohio House Judiciary Committee on the policies in Ohio House Bill 88, urging lawmakers to protect The Buckeye Institute-championed mens rea reforms, which were “the first and best of their kind in the country.” “For more than a decade, Ohio has demonstrated its commitment to prudent, commonsense criminal justice policies and reforms,” but “House Bill 88 retreats from those reforms” by removing mens rea requirements in some circumstances.

The Buckeye Institute testified before the Ohio Senate Health Committee on the policies in Ohio Senate Bill 198, which should be tailored narrowly to make the opaque 340B drug pricing program more transparent. Rea S. Hederman, vice president of policy at The Buckeye Institute, noted that Senate Bill 198 “makes a noble effort to help Ohio’s community health centers,” and urged the committee to ensure “that any action Ohio takes does not undermine program sustainability or raise costs.”

The Buckeye Institute testified before the Ohio House Energy Committee on the policies in Ohio Senate Bill 103, which will help create a dynamic energy future for Ohio by eliminating rigid regulatory procedures for approving natural gas projects. The Buckeye Institute noted that delays in approving natural gas projects undermine Ohio’s “economic and technological growth,” and that the policies in Senate Bill 103 will “help keep Ohio competitive and spur economic development by attracting new technology and industrial investment.”