WE BASE OUR WORK ON THE FOLLOWING POLICIES
SUPPORT MANUFACTURING and Tame the RISING COST OF LIVING
Ohio ranks third in the nation for manufacturing, a vital sector with roots stretching back to the state’s earliest days—and one crucial for the state’s future as well. But inflationary, antigrowth policies coming out of Washington, D.C. have hurt the state’s manufacturing sector and hardworking Ohioans. The Buckeye State can unleash the competition and innovation that keeps prices down good-paying manufacturing jobs in the state by cutting red tape and advancing policies that help every Ohioan find a fulfilling, well-paying job.
Prioritize “ALL OF THE ABOVE” ENERGY OPTIONS
Every day, innovations all around us increase the demand for proven, reliable energy sources that keep Ohioans’ homes warm and factories operating. Coal has been part of Ohio’s energy landscape for more than 200 years. But today? An onslaught of attacks from Washington and agenda-driven environmental extremists risk taking Buckeye State coal off the table as an energy option. We refuse to let that happen.
SUPPORT FARMS AND FARMERS in Ohio
With one out of seven Ohioans employed in agriculture, farming is the state’s top industry and employs one out of seven people. But, more than numbers on paper, Ohio agriculture is a heritage and a way of life—90% of Ohio’s nearly 75,000 farms are owned by families and individuals. Too often, this rich heritage is under threat from the statehouse and Washington with an endless stream of burdensome regulation. Ohio’s flourishing family-run farms shouldn’t be regulated to death.
PROTECT OHIO COMMUNITIES From Crime, Drugs And Illegal Immigration
Fentanyl deaths have killed thousands of Ohioans in the past decade. And although good work has been done, millions still face the thread of this poison in their communities—a modern-day plague that resulted in Ohio law enforcement confiscating nearly 1,000 lbs of the drug over the past several years. Virtually all fentanyl comes across our border illegally, from China. Law and order doesn’t just mean putting public safety ahead of political correctness in Ohio; it means working with federal, state, and local authorities to ensure those here illegally aren’t brining it into our communities.
From the mighty Ohio River to the shores of Lake Erie, Ohio’s forests, factories and fertile fields have been home to generations. A state early to industrialize and early to innovate, it’s been the birthplace of some of America’s most iconic businesses, military leaders and ideas.
There are no average Ohioans; the state is exceptional and so are its hardworking people, who dream of a life where they can be safe, free and happy.
But for the state’s 12 million residents, that dream seems harder and harder to achieve. Inflation has made it difficult for many hardworking Ohioans to get by. Manufacturing jobs flee the state due to burdensome regulations and family farms are under threat. Crime is a growing fear, as is the scourge of fentanyl being trafficked across our southern border. Something as basic as buying a house is unaffordable for hundreds of thousands of families.
At every turn, the story is the same: Ohioans can and would thrive—if only they had the freedom to do so and policies that put hardworking residents first.
That’s where we come in. The America First Policy Institute (AFPI), a nonprofit, non-partisan research institute that educates lawmakers and the American public on the policies that put America first, has founded a state chapter in Ohio. Building on AFPI’s America First Agenda, AFPI-Ohio is committed to building upon the successes in the Buckeye State. By embracing policies that promote Ohio’s energy potential, agriculture and safety, Ohio can reach new limits.
Team
Latest
Issue Brief
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March 28, 2025
State Policy Actions to Support Homeschooling, Another Choice for Families
Since the COVID-19 pandemic, homeschooling has been the fastest-growing form of education in America. Families have become more aware of alternative education options as parental choice surrounding education has gained momentum.
Litigation
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March 28, 2025
Supreme Court Must Rein in DHS’s Unauthorized Alien Work Programs
The Supreme Court has a critical opportunity to defend American workers.
At issue: whether the Department of Homeland Security can hand out work permits to illegal aliens without any approval from Congress. The D.C. Circuit shockingly upheld this power grab, giving DHS sweeping authority to create de facto immigration policy — bypassing lawmakers and hurting hardworking Americans in the process.
Podcast
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March 27, 2025
The Lou Holtz Show with Dat Nguyen | S2E6
Coach Lou Holtz interviews NFL legend Dat Nguyen on faith, family, perseverance, and the American Dream—from Vietnam to the Dallas Cowboys.
Fact Sheet
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March 27, 2025
Opportunity Zones Plus: Critical Industries in Underserved Areas
The enactment of Opportunity Zones (OZs) was a cornerstone of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 that has brought $84 billion of equity investment to distressed communities across America. A higher tier of OZ incentives, OZ+, would build upon OZ’s positive legacy to deliver needed solutions in critical industries.
Op-Ed
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March 25, 2025
Hamas’s Next ‘Hell to Pay’ Choices
In early March, President Trump met with a delegation of freed Israeli hostages who were in Hamas captivity. That night he doubled down on his threat to Hamas, writing on Truth Social, “Make a SMART decision. RELEASE THE HOSTAGES NOW, OR THERE WILL BE HELL TO PAY LATER!”
Op-Ed
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March 25, 2025
SAVE Our Republic: Why the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act Is Absolutely Necessary
America First starts with a simple common-sense principle: only American citizens can vote in American elections.
Statement
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March 25, 2025
Ken Blackwell and Hogan Gidley on Ohio Senate Bill 63, a Prohibition on Ranked Choice Voting
Issue Brief
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March 21, 2025
Put Americans First by Ending Global Freeloading
« Patients with chronic conditions and other debilitating diseases can access lifesaving prescription drugs because drug manufacturers and American health agencies invest billions of dollars to develop new medicines.
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