The Buckeye Institute testified on Mar. 24 before the Ohio Senate General Government Committee in support of Senate Bill 268, which aims to increase transparency in the state’s administrative rulemaking process. The testimony focused on concerns about state agencies adopting model regulations from nongovernment organizations without sufficient public disclosure.
Senate Bill 268 is intended to ensure that when Ohio state agencies use model rules developed by regulatory-focused nongovernment organizations (NGOs), they must disclose the source and comply with notice, hearing, and evaluation requirements. This measure is seen as a way to prevent external influences from shaping Ohio law without proper oversight or public awareness.
Greg R. Lawson, senior research fellow at The Buckeye Institute, said that Ohio already has a “robust regulatory oversight structure, with internal checks and balances designed to keep bureaucratic burdens in check.” He added that officials should “remain vigilant to ensure that new regulatory provisions and model rules are drafted in the light of day.” Lawson explained that while NGOs often provide valuable expertise, they can also “act as ‘Trojan Horses’ when they write model regulations that state regulators adopt—sometimes verbatim—with little public visibility.”
Lawson said the bill would not stop agencies from working with experts or collaborating across states but would require transparency about outside influence on policy decisions. He noted particular concern regarding securities regulation, where some policies have been advanced through informal means without sufficient opportunity for public comment.
According to the official website, The Buckeye Institute depended on private funding from individuals, corporations, and foundations. The organization had offices on Capitol Square in Columbus, Ohio according to its official website. It worked to promote free-market public policy via research, data analysis, and policy development according to its official website. While concentrating efforts on Ohio issues it also promoted free-market ideas nationally according to its official website. The institute aided policymakers with research and data aimed at advancing free-market principles according to its official site and was classified as a nonprofit under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code according to its official website.
Lawson concluded his remarks by saying Senate Bill 268 “simply insists on transparency so that Trojan Horses do not sneak their way into the Ohio Administrative Code.”
