In Crain’s Cleveland Business, The Buckeye Institute urges policymakers to do more to build a strong workforce in Ohio and recommends several public policy changes for improving Ohio’s labor force. “CNBC rightly recognized and rewarded Ohio for being a great place to do business. Addressing labor force concerns by improving employee training with better, outcome-based education funding incentives is long overdue. Making those adjustments will enhance worker pay and efficiency and offer the marketable skills that businesses value.”

In a new policy brief, Don’t Pull the Plug: A Better Blueprint for Ohio’s Data Center Future, The Buckeye Institute argues against short-sighted blanket bans on data centers and instead calls on state and local governments to address the challenges data centers pose without unnecessarily discouraging—or killing—investment in this vital new industry. “While Ohio policymakers should not dismiss legitimate public concerns about data centers, they should reject moratoriums on their construction.”

As Ohio prepares to celebrate Labor Day and Ohio’s workers, The Buckeye Institute is out with a new policy brief, Expanding Ohio’s Workforce Pipeline, that offers specific policy recommendations Ohio lawmakers can adopt to prepare workers for the in-demand, high-skilled jobs that 21st century employers need to fill. “Ohio has made remarkable strides toward prosperity and economic advancement in recent years; however, it still struggles to train and retain a ready-to-hire workforce.”

In The Center Square, The Buckeye Institute reminds federal lawmakers of the failed experiment in government-imposed artificial limits on bank credit. As the idea of capping credit card interest rates resurfaces, Buckeye writes, “Americans need access to credit for buying homes and cars, taking vacations, starting businesses, and weathering family emergencies. Federal price controls on consumer credit lines will deny or limit that access for too many – and legislators proposing them should know better.”

On Cleveland.com, The Buckeye Institute urges debate on fixing chronically underperforming schools, writing, “Ohio’s students and families deserve schools where children will learn and thrive, and there is no one-size-fits-all approach to providing this environment. Converting to charter schools won’t always be the right option to address academic underperformance, but it might be in some cases, and it should be considered.”

The Buckeye Institute testified before the Ohio Select Committee on Data Centers. In his testimony, Greg R. Lawson, a senior research fellow at The Buckeye Institute, noted that “legitimate constituent concerns about data center proliferation cannot be ignored,” but reminded lawmakers what is at stake for Ohio and the country and urged them to adopt policies that will secure “America’s digital infrastructure and win[ ] the race for advanced computing technology.”

The Buckeye Institute testified before the Ohio Senate Education Committee on the policies in Ohio Senate Bill 311, which will make school choice more accessible by transforming unused vacant schools into centers of learning. In his testimony, Greg R. Lawson, a senior research fellow at The Buckeye Institute, praised lawmakers for their efforts to expand school choice, but noted that “those opportunities diminish when schools cannot physically open, expand, or operate in communities where demand exists.”

The Buckeye Institute testified before the Ohio Senate Energy Committee on Ohio House Bill 646, which will set policy to govern data center development in Ohio. In his testimony, Greg R. Lawson, a senior research fellow at The Buckeye Institute, outlined how critical data centers are to Ohio’s economic development and the future of manufacturing, healthcare systems, university research, national defense, cybersecurity, communications, and financial markets.

The Buckeye Institute submitted testimony to the Ohio Senate Energy Committee on Ohio Senate Concurrent Resolution 20, which calls on Congress to expedite energy production. In his testimony, Greg R. Lawson, a senior research fellow at The Buckeye Institute, noted that Ohio “continues to attract new advanced manufacturing firms, cloud computing companies, semiconductor plants, and digital storage centers” that help the United States “maintain its technological advantage.” As these industries “come online,” their “demand for energy is outpacing current supply.”

The Buckeye Institute testified before the Ohio House Transportation Committee on the policy in Ohio House Bill 814, which sets up a process to end the burdensome E-Check program. In his testimony, Greg R. Lawson, a senior research fellow at The Buckeye Institute, called for an end to E-Check in the affected counties—Cuyahoga, Geauga, Lake, Lorain, Medina, Portage, and Summit—noting that the region has “demonstrate[ed] a 40 percent reduction in air pollutants over the past five years.”