As the Ohio Supreme Court prepares to hear Columbus v. Ohio—a case challenging Ohio’s preemption power—The Buckeye Institute released its most recent policy brief, Striking a Balance: Local Governance, Individual Rights & Economic Growth, which makes the case for a predictable and uniform regulatory environment across the state that supports pro-growth activities and respects constitutional rights. “State preemption is a necessary tool to protect fundamental rights, promote economic opportunity, and ensure regulatory clarity.”

A new report, Continuing Kentucky’s Tax Reform Efforts, by The Buckeye Institute, found that cutting the commonwealth’s personal income tax to three percent would create nearly $2 billion in economic growth and 7,000 new jobs. The Buckeye Institute partnered with Kentucky’s Bluegrass Institute to conduct the research. “To compete with its lower-tax neighbors and remain economically competitive, Kentucky must continue its pro-growth reforms.”

“After several years of headline-grabbing decisions that reshaped national political debate—from abortion and affirmative action to religious liberty and presidential power—in its October 2024 Term, the United States Supreme Court largely stepped back from the culture war flashpoints and focused on institutional structure, procedural discipline, and interpretive clarity.” In Structure Over Spectacle, The Buckeye Institute’s David C. Tryon and the Defense of Freedom Institute for Policy Studies’ Donald A. Daugherty look back on the U.S. Supreme Court’s 2024 term.

In 2025, Ohio maintained its 35th place ranking in the Economic Freedom of North America 2025 (EFNA) report for the second year in a row. The report, released by The Buckeye Institute in partnership with Canada’s Fraser Institute, ranks all states and provinces in the United States, Canada, and Mexico, as well as the U.S. territory of Puerto Rico, based on economic freedom, measured by government spending, taxation, and labor-market freedom. 

As Ohio lawmakers look for solutions to fix a broken 340B drug pricing program, The Buckeye Institute released a new policy brief—The 340B Fix: Federal Bipartisan Effort Best Path to Reform—outlining how the program came to neglect its well-intended goals and urged Ohio policymakers to encourage federal reforms percolating in Washington. “The 340B program requires federal reforms to fix the broken program, and Ohio leaders should encourage that effort.”

In a new policy memo, The Buckeye Institute outlines how Senate Bill 256 and House Bill 534 take reasonable, necessary steps to help Ohio families seeking debt relief. “Ohio’s household debt crisis demands practical, consumer-focused solutions. Clarifying the state’s debt-settlement law offers a responsible path forward by enhancing consumer choice. Senate Bill 256 and House Bill 534 take reasonable, necessary steps to help Ohio families seeking debt relief.”

As the Ohio House General Government Committee begins its review of Ohio occupational licenses, The Buckeye Institute issued its fourth Opening Doors policy brief, where it identified 39 licenses that the state should eliminate or reform to make Ohio more economically competitive and make it easier for people to earn a living. Since 2019, Ohio has eliminated or reduced requirements for nearly 100 licenses based on The Buckeye Institute’s recommendations.

As the Budget Conference Committee begins its work on Ohio’s biennial budget and analyzes some hotly-contested issues, The Buckeye Institute released Keep, Cut, Change, its recommendations for which version of the budget—governor’s, House, or Senate—lawmakers should adopt and what should be cut or changed. “By adopting The Buckeye Institute’s recommendations, policymakers will achieve effective policy outcomes that benefit all Ohioans.”

In a new policy brief, Advancing Healthcare Technology, The Buckeye Institute urges lawmakers to create a “regulatory sandbox” so that AI innovators can develop new medical technologies in a flexible, safe regulatory environment that lowers costs and cuts red tape. An AI healthcare sandbox “will allow healthcare providers, AI developers, and policymakers to collaborate and responsibly test novel technologies related to drug development, medical imaging, disease diagnosis, gene therapy, medical research, and health data management...” 

The Buckeye Institute released its world-famous 2025 Piglet Book, which identified more than $9 billion in savings for Ohio taxpayers. The Piglet Book analyzes Ohio’s proposed biennial budget to offer specific savings for lawmakers to consider as they debate the state’s two-year budget. “To help keep Ohio economically competitive, the General Assembly should aggressively prioritize cuts to public spending, curb Medicaid growth rates, close tax loopholes, eliminate corporate welfare, and end government ‘philanthropy.’”