The Buckeye Institute released a report today advocating three ways to increase access to affordable healthcare in Ohio, especially in low-income and underserved areas. The Ohio Legislature could enact The Buckeye Institute’s recommended changes at no cost to taxpayers and at great benefit to Ohioans most in need of expanded healthcare access.

Darcey Olsen’s recently released book Right to Try gives a powerful look at how states can defend the rights of the terminally ill. The book takes its title from the “Right to Try” laws enacted in 24 states, which allow terminal patients to access potentially lifesaving treatments without full FDA approval.

A job is a stepping-stone to a better life for low-income Ohioans. Unfortunately, many moderate-income jobs in Ohio require hundreds of dollars in government licensure fees plus the completion of thousands of hours of training. 

Excessive licensure laws all but ban underprivileged Ohioans from certain job opportunities. For example, getting an Ohio cosmetology license requires 1,500 hours of training that can cost between $6,500 and $10,000.

September 7th is Labor Day, a holiday commemorating the American worker’s contribution to American prosperity and growth. Unfortunately, Ohio workers today face limited opportunity and freedom. The Buckeye Institute is committed to labor reforms that will restore freedom and prosperity for Ohio workers.

In 2012, Indiana became the 23rd state to enact a “right-to-work” law that prohibits unions from forcing non-members to pay so-called “agency fees” as a condition of working at unionized firms.

Ohio’s new budget is a step in the right direction, but without pension reform this progress will be for nothing. A recent index of state budget solvency from the Mercatus Center provides a stark illustration of the need for reform.

With the Senate budget looming on the horizon, it is time to consider how to make Ohio fiscally responsible. In that spirit, The Buckeye Institute released its 2015 Ohio Piglet Book, detailing close to $2.6 billion in wasteful and excessive state spending.

Governor Kasich’s proposed budget for FY 2016-2017 contains some positive features, but overall it continues the trend of unchecked growth in state spending. The Governor’s proposal expends an additional $912 million of the state-funded portion of the General Revenue Fund. While an increase of this magnitude is hard to justify from an economic perspective, it is not unusual from a historic perspective.

As the slow economic recovery continues, there are renewed calls to raise the minimum wage. While the goal may be to raise the income of certain workers, the consequence is to price some workers out of the labor market and reduce their opportunities.