The Buckeye Institute commented on the newly released jobs report from the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services, saying, “Better news came in the payroll survey, which revised January job numbers up by 5,000 and reported that 25,000 new private-sector jobs were added in February. These gains are a bright spot for the Ohio job market.”

In Crain’s Cleveland Business, The Buckeye Institute urges Governor Mike DeWine and the Ohio General Assembly to fix a faulty quirk in the state’s tax code. “The General Assembly should re-index the tax brackets to inflation and, this time, end the residual tax penalty, too…To offset potential lost revenue from eliminating the tax bump, state policymakers should take a few pages from The Buckeye Institute’s most recent Piglet Book…”

The Buckeye Institute reacted to Governor Mike DeWine’s 2025 State of the State speech, praising him for highlighting the need to cut regulations, reform Ohio’s energy policies, shift to outcomes-based funding in higher education, increase educational training, and restore the formerly incarcerated into the workforce. Buckeye was disappointed there was no mention of reining in Medicaid funding or of Ohio’s new school choice program, which has given lower- and middle-class families the chance to improve their children’s education and future.

The Buckeye Institute submitted written testimony to the Ohio Senate Medicaid Committee in support of Ohio’s proposed Medicaid waiver, which enhances the program’s integrity and promotes economic stability, financial independence, and improved health outcomes. “For almost 50 years, the government expected healthy adults to be in the labor force working or looking for work.”

The Buckeye Institute commented on the newly released jobs report from the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services. “In January, Ohio’s unemployment ticked up to 4.6 percent from 4.5 percent in December, while the national unemployment rate declined to 4.0, widening the gap between Ohio and the national average. Ohio’s labor force participation rate was flat at 62.4 percent, while the national average climbed to 64.6. This month’s report shows that while Ohio’s job market struggled in January, the national job market improved.”

On RealClear Energy, The Buckeye Institute looks at how states are rethinking failed energy policies as the demand for reliable, affordable energy increases and ending ill-considered green energy mandates. Windmills and solar panels will not meet the “energy demands of 21st century computing and manufacturing in America,” and “modern families and businesses need affordable and reliable electricity sources that will keep the lights on even when the sun isn’t shining.”

The Buckeye Institute testified before the Ohio House Medicaid Committee, offering several reforms Ohio can make to enhance Medicaid’s integrity and safeguard the program against potential rule changes in Washington. With potential rule changes from Washington, Hederman offered three reforms Ohio can make to strengthen Medicaid’s integrity.

The Buckeye Institute offered initial comments on Governor Mike DeWine’s proposed fiscal year 2026-2027 budget, saying, “While there are many details to be ironed out, The Buckeye Institute commends Governor DeWine for acknowledging that the state is overfunding public school districts with declining enrollment and not providing enough funding for schools that students are attending... Notwithstanding the positives, The Buckeye Institute is disappointed not to hear anything about future tax reform, and there are concerns about the level of overall spending growth.”

The Buckeye Institute commented on the newly released jobs report from the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services, saying, ““Employers added 6,300 private-sector jobs in December, and revisions to the November jobs report, which added another 800 private-sector jobs, show Ohio ended the year with 11,000 new private-sector jobs created in November and December. In total, Ohio’s private sector added 53,000 new jobs in 2024, indicating steady job growth for the Buckeye State.”

In a new policy report, Better Energy Policy for Ohio, The Buckeye Institute, in partnership with Americans for Prosperity-Ohio, outlines the challenges facing Ohio as the need and demand for energy grows and offers basic principles lawmakers should use as a guide to develop better energy policies for the Buckeye State. “Ohioans deserve a better, smarter, more principled energy policy that reduces bureaucratic red tape and helps ensure a healthy supply of affordable, reliable energy.”