Columbus, OH – Greg R. Lawson, a research fellow at The Buckeye Institute, issued the following statement after the passage of Senate Bill 255 by the Ohio General Assembly.

“With Senate Bill 255, Ohio becomes a national leader in occupational licensing reform and the policies in the bill will enable policymakers to end permission slip regulations that create barriers to employment for too many Americans.

“These reforms have been a long time coming and give Ohio legislators the power to rigorously review existing and new licensing laws. We offer a hearty standing ovation for policymakers—especially Senate President Larry Obhof, and sponsors Senator Rob McColley and Representative Ron Hood—who should be applauded for their indispensable leadership in putting Ohio at the forefront of occupational reform nationally.

“For anyone who has been prohibited from starting a new career or advancing in a job by Ohio’s burdensome occupational licensing requirements, Senate Bill 255 will remove barriers to employment for workers—particularly young and minority workers—and will ensure that Ohioans are not harmed by exclusionary policies that block people from working or receiving promotions.”

Senator McColley said of Buckeye’s longtime efforts leading this charge to reform occupational licensing in Ohio, “The Buckeye Institute has been instrumental in fighting for occupational licensing reform for so many years. Now, thanks in large part to Buckeye’s tireless work on these policies, Ohio is a national leader in removing barriers to employment.”

The Buckeye Institute has been calling for occupational licensing reform in countless articles and comments over the years. The Institute’s reports, Forbidden to Succeed: How Licensure Laws Hold Ohioans Back and Still Forbidden to Succeed: The Negative Effects of Occupational Licensing on Ohio’s Workforce, especially outlined the negative impacts of licensing requirements on workers and job creation.

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