Buckeye Institute News Update

Amidst the torrent of bad news since the New Year (the stock market performing erratically and blizzards making themselves known by name, etc.), The Buckeye Institute is off to a phenomenal start for 2016--thanks to your support!

A few noteworthy accomplishments for your review:

•  U.S. Supreme Court. As you may recall, President and Chief Executive Officer Robert Alt spoke at a news briefing (video below) on the steps of the U.S. Supreme Court just after oral arguments concluded in the landmark labor freedom case, Friedrichs v. California Teachers Association. Robert, a constitutional scholar, filed an amicus brief for Buckeye in the case, as well as published extensively in prominent publications including National Review's Bench Memos and SCOTUSblog in the days leading up to oral arguments and was quoted widely in the days after the January 11th arguments.

•  Ohio General Assembly. Policy Analyst Greg R. Lawson testified earlier this week before a House Committee on why it is smart policy for the State Auditor to do efficiency-seeking performance audits at universities and community colleges. Ohio Rep. Tim Schaffer (R-Lancaster), the bill's co-sponsor, publicly thanked Greg on social media for his testimony. State Auditor Dave Yost touted and quoted Greg's testimony in a news release too.

“The State Auditor now assures that universities spend money legally; additionally sometimes the Auditor needs to say if funds are being spent responsibly,” Dr. Vedder said.  “Higher education costs have skyrocketed, and powerful constituencies within universities sometimes promote spending that benefits a few but does not serve the broader social good. Performance auditing can help curb wasteful spending that increases the already too high cost of attending college."'

• Editorial pages. The Buckeye Institute is now a mainstay - and the dominant free market voice - on the editorial pages of Ohio's major newspapers. William and Helen Diehl Fiscal Policy Fellow Tom Lampman had an op-ed in the Toledo Blade. It was based on his policy study  arguing that deregulation would dramatically increase access to health care, especially for low-income Ohioans. In a similar vein, Greg R. Lawson published a letter-to-the-editor in the Columbus Dispatch explaining how job growth and reducing poverty -- not just spending more tax money -- is the key to improving education outcomes.

• News reports. Our experts are frequent sources to the media on our core policy issues, such as jobs and economic growth. Buckeye's Executive Vice President Rea S. Hederman, Jr., was prominently quoted Friday  in the Cleveland Plain Dealer's news story on the latest Ohio jobs report. Thank you for all you do to advance freedom and prosperity, Happy New Year, and stay warm!

 

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Founded in 1989, The Buckeye Institute is an independent research and educational institution--a think tank--whose mission is to advance free-market public policy in the states.