Ohio State University may be the reigning national champion in college football, but according to a new ranking, Ohio is one of the worst states in the country.
According to U.S. News & World Report, the Buckeye State ranks as the 38th best state in the country. WHIO-TV reported that’s worse than a year ago, when Ohio ranked No. 36 in the analysis.
“First launched in 2017, the Best States rankings assess the 50 states across eight categories: health care, education, natural environment, opportunity, economy, crime and corrections, infrastructure and fiscal stability,” U.S. News & World Report said.
The report found that Utah, New Hampshire, Idaho, Minnesota, and Nebraska were the five best states in the country. Conversely, Louisiana, Alaska, Mississippi, New Mexico and West Virginia ranked as the five worst states.
The report lauded Utah, which it said was “home to a diverse and resilient economy, smart students, low crime and a fairly healthy population,” WHIO-TV reported.
Ohio performed better in the opportunity and fiscal stability categories, ranking No. 17 and No. 25, WHIO-TV reported. It ranked lowest in the economy and natural environment, where it ranked No. 39 and No. 41.
The new rankings come as the state recognizes In-Demand Jobs Week and “the many good-paying career opportunities and industries that are available throughout Ohio,” Ohio Department of Job and Family Services Director Matt Damschroder said in a release.
Honorary weeks aside, on the economic front, Democrats and Republicans have been at loggerheads about the state’s budget and how to address the economy.
“For many Americans, government at almost every level has become complacent,” House Minority Leader Allison Russo, D-Upper Arlington, said in a statement coinciding with President Donald Trump’s first 100 days in office. “Citizens are looking for leaders at the highest levels that put people first in order to unrig the game, make government more accountable, and lead our country and our state in a better direction. Change is absolutely necessary, but not like this.
“We, as state elected officials, have a responsibility to the people of Ohio to govern in a way that puts them at the center of every decision,” Russo added. “That means putting people over politics. Unfortunately for Ohioans, just like the reckless state operating budget recently passed by House Republicans, the president is failing in that responsibility. The people know it, and the people are the ones paying the costs, especially right here in Ohio. People deserve better.”
However, conservative-minded groups want state leaders to pass a measure that will give the state legislature more oversight over Ohio’s state agencies and increase taxpayer transparency and accountability. Proponents say that doing so will open more opportunities for Ohioans.
House Bill 11, a state version of the federal Regulations from the Executive In Need of Scrutiny Act, ostensibly aims to restore legislative control, increase transparency, and empower Ohioans.
“Ohioans deserve transparency at every level,” Americans for Prosperity – Ohio State Director Donovan O’Neil said in a statement. The measure, sponsored by state Reps. Ron Ferguson, R-Wintersville, and Brian Lorenz, R-Powell, “will restore the balance of power between the legislative and executive branches and ensure regulatory decisions get voted on by elected officials.”
The group has embarked on its Rock N REINS: The Red Tape Roadshow to hear from Ohioans about “how they’re stuck dealing with the consequences of costly, complex rules handed down by unelected bureaucrats, and discuss solutions the REINS Act brings ensure regulatory policies work in the best interest of the people, rather than bureaucratic interests.”
