In a new policy report, Beware the Trojan Horse of Rulemaking Nongovernment Organizations, The Buckeye Institute outlines the history of national and international nongovernmental organizations (NGO), which present a unique regulatory threat disguised as an innocuous Trojan gift horse. “NGOs operate opaquely, with little public scrutiny, and their seemingly benign proposals can be a Trojan Horse leading to needless government regulations. Regulators and elected representatives should be wary of NGOs bearing gifts.”

The Buckeye Institute submitted testimony to the Ohio House Homeland Security Committee on the policies in Ohio Senate Bill 37, which would ensure that the suspension of driver’s licenses is related to driving offenses. Millions of Ohioans have their licenses suspended, many for offenses unrelated to dangerous driving. The serious ramifications of these suspensions include “difficulty obtaining and retaining meaningful employment, and [a smaller] pool of available workers for Ohio businesses...”

The Buckeye Institute submitted testimony to the Ohio House State and Local Government Committee on the policies in Ohio Senate Bill 198, which help formerly incarcerated Ohioans obtain the documents they need to secure stable housing and employment. By requiring Ohio’s departments of Rehabilitation and Correction and Youth Services to provide soon-to-be-released inmates with identification documents needed for employment, Senate Bill 198 “further promote[s] the state’s interest in a safer, more just society.”

The Buckeye Institute testified before the Ohio Senate Government Oversight Committee on the policies in Ohio House Bill 238, which would make it easier for Ohioans to earn a living by eliminating or reducing occupational licensing requirements. In his testimony, Greg R. Lawson, a research fellow at The Buckeye Institute, praised the bill’s sponsors, saying, “Occupational licensing rules may not make news headlines, but they do make a difference in the lives of workers looking to start or extend their careers.”

The Buckeye Institute testified before the Ohio Senate Energy and Public Utilities Committee on the policies in Ohio Senate Bill 275, which will help Ohio meet its growing energy demands. In his testimony, Greg R. Lawson, a research fellow at The Buckeye Institute, noted that while “Senate Bill 275 does not address every energy issue the state faces,” it does “take several strides in the right direction.”

As the Ohio Senate Government Oversight Committee takes up Ohio House Bill 238—a review of Ohio’s occupational licenses requirements—The Buckeye Institute issued a new policy memo urging lawmakers to continue reducing burdensome, unnecessary requirements that hinder careers and make it harder for people to join the workforce. In previous research, Buckeye identified 47 licenses that the state should eliminate or reform. This latest policy paper builds on this earlier research.

Speakers: Greg R. Lawson, The Buckeye Institute; Amy Hanauer, Institute on Taxation & Economic Policy; Hope Lane-Gavin, Ohio Association of Foodbanks; Bailey Williams, Policy Matters Ohio; and moderated by Karen Kasler, Ohio Public Media.

The Buckeye Institute released a new policy memo outlining the failures of government-owned broadband networks (GON) and encouraging local governments to utilize public-private partnerships with cutting-edge technology companies to deploy adequate broadband for customers. The Buckeye Institute outlines how, for years, local governments have propped up GONs to provide internet service in their communities and how those efforts have failed, most recently in Bryan, Ohio.

The Buckeye Institute released a new policy memo urging lawmakers to help Ohioans struggling with debt and adopt policies to improve debt resolution options and increase “consumer access to all available debt management and settlement options.” Consumer debt is not “a generic one-size-fits-all problem with a one-size-fits-all solution. Debt repayment programs can and should vary,” and “well-tailored laws, rules, and oversight should ensure that debt resolution companies operate ethically and effectively.”

In The Lima News, The Buckeye Institute outlined specific reforms lawmakers should adopt to meet the growing demand for EdChoice scholarships. “Public and private charter schools need extra capital to fund school and classroom expansion, and there are ways for state policymakers to make that capital more accessible.” Buckeye urged lawmakers to “ensure that every student in every family across every community can find a seat in the classroom that best fits their academic needs.”