Since The Buckeye Institute first started publishing its Piglet Book in 2005, it’s recommended eliminating Ohio’s Motor Vehicle Repair Board. The Buckeye Institute, an independent think tank whose mission is to advance free-market public policy, issues a regular Piglet Book that analyzes “Ohio’s proposed biennial budget and offers savings for…
Read MoreDay: May 17, 2019
Federal Indictment of Michigan’s Larry Inman Mentions ’12 People’ Connected to Cash-for-Votes Scheme
Michigan State Rep. Larry Inman (R-Grand Traverse County) was indicted by a federal grand jury Wednesday on charges of attempted extortion, bribery, and lying to an FBI agent. The crimes carry sentences of 20 years, 10 years, and five years, respectively. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District…
Read MoreCommentary: The Tyranny John Stuart Mill Warned About Is Taking Root on Social Media
by Robert Romano In John Stuart Mill’s magnum opus, On Liberty, which provides one of the most compelling defenses of free speech in human history, the philosopher warned how a tyranny of the majority could impose censorship that would be “more formidable” than even governmental censorship and that it could “enslav[e]…
Read MoreDespite Budget Surpluses, Tax Increases Still Debated in Minnesota as May 20 Deadline Looms
by Bethany Blankey Joint conference committees continue to hash out differences with the hope of reaching the May 20 deadline and closing a $2 billion gap between conflicting budget priorities. Still up for discussion in the Minnesota legislature are proposed fees on drug distributors and manufacturers to pay for…
Read MoreAl Gore to Address Harvard University Seniors at Class Day Celebration on May 29
Calling Al Gore a “dedicated public servant” and other superlatives, The Harvard Gazette announced the former vice president will address graduating seniors on May 29 as part of the annual Class Day celebration, the day before Harvard University’s 368th commencement. Gore is a 1969 Harvard alumnus. In the lengthy…
Read MoreBy the Numbers: Florida’s Osceola County Posts 16th Highest Foreclosure Rate in First Quarter
One in 290 properties in Osceola County, Florida started the foreclosure process during the first quarter of the year – the 16th highest foreclosure rate among U.S. counties with at least 100 foreclosures nationwide, according to an ATTOM Data Solutions analysis of property data. Osceola County’s foreclosure rate was…
Read MoreBipartisan Bill Introduced to Preserve Ohio Lakes, Rivers
by Tyler Arnold Two Ohio state representatives introduced legislation to create a trust fund for preserving Ohio’s lakes and rivers. Reps. Haraz N. Ghanbari, R-Perrysburg, and John Patterson, D-Jefferson, introduced House Bill 7, which would create the H2Ohio Endowment Board, which will manage the multimillion-dollar trust fund. The budget…
Read More‘Cowardice’: Nikki Haley Takes Aim At Ocasio-Cortez, Omar And Sanders Over Venezuela
by Peter Hasson Former Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley sharply criticized three prominent Democrats — Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York and Ilhan Omar of Minnesota and Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders — for going soft on Venezuela’s socialist dictatorship. “On the fringes of the left, celebrity politicians…
Read MoreBill de Blasio Enters Race for the White House
by Evie Fordham Democratic New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio announced Thursday that he is entering the crowded 2020 field for president. “Doesn’t matter if you live in a city or a rural area, a big state, small state. Doesn’t matter what your ethnicity is. People in every…
Read MoreCory Booker Pledges to Legalize Abortion Nationwide Despite Supreme Court Decisions
by Molly Prince Democratic New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker pledged on Wednesday to override any possible Supreme Court decision and pass a law legalizing abortion nationwide if he wins the presidency in 2020. “The injustices we’re seeing in Alabama right now with this legislation — it’s important that all…
Read MoreMissouri Is Latest US State to Approve Anti-Abortion Bill
Missouri is the latest U.S. state to act in favor of a restrictive abortion ban bill, bolstering a national movement Republicans hope could lead to the revocation of the landmark 1973 decision that legalized abortion. The Republican-led Senate in the midwestern U.S. state voted 24-10 early Thursday to ban…
Read MoreACLU Sues State of Ohio Over Heartbeat Bill
The American Civil Liberties Union has sued the State of Ohio over the recently signed “Heartbeat Bill” (SB 23), which is set to take effect on July 10. [pdf-embedder url=”http://battlegroundstatenews.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/OhioHeartbeatBillComplaint.pdf”] The lawsuit seeking declaratory and injunctive relief was filed in the U.S. District Court Southern District of Ohio…
Read MoreTrump Rolls Out Merit-Based Plan to Transform Immigration System
by Fred Lucas President Donald Trump introduced what he called a “big, beautiful, bold” plan to “transform America’s immigration system” from one of random entry to a meritocracy. “Instead of admitting people through random chance, we will establish simple, universal criteria for admission to the United States,” Trump said…
Read More‘Never Trump’ Republican Called for Russian Sanctions, Now He’s Lobbying Against Them
by Chuck Ross A top “Never Trump” Republican strategist who has called for “sanctions on steroids” against the Russian government has registered as a lobbyist for a Russia-owned nuclear energy firm that is seeking to relax sanctions. John Weaver, a strategist for former Republican presidential candidate John Kasich, registered…
Read MoreFlorida City Fines Elderly Man $30,000 Over Uncut Grass, Tries to Steal His Home
by Carey Wedler A Florida town attracted national attention last week for its efforts to fine a 69-year-old retiree nearly $30,000 and then foreclose on his home because he was unable to pay—all because he failed to cut his grass. The Tampa Bay Times reports that the city of…
Read MoreCommentary: The FISA Footnote that Could Doom Collusion Hoaxsters
by Julie Kelly It is the controversial footnote to the most infamous application in American political history: The application submitted to the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court for approval to wiretap Trump campaign aide Carter Page. And it could lead to the downfall of the Trump-Russia collusion schemers, as it…
Read MoreOhio Senate Asked to Reconsider $550 Million Increase in Spending on Education
The Ohio Senate Finance Subcommittee on Primary and Secondary Education was asked to reconsider spending an additional $550 million on public education in the state’s biennial budget, House Bill 166. Testifying before the committee Wednesday, Greg Lawson, a senior research fellow at The Buckeye Institute, pointed out that “Ohio’s…
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