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March 14, 2024 10:51AM

On the final day of the 2016 legislative session, lawmakers voted to repeal the Hall Tax. Jon and Linda remain engaged in Beacon’s work to this day. Thanks to their willingness to speak out about their challenges with the Hall Tax, they helped return more than $300 million a year to taxpayers and make Tennessee truly income tax-free for the first time in nearly a century. READ MORE

February 15, 2024 1:30PM

Typically, proposed laws at the local level rarely get any attention, let alone make national news. But here in Tennessee, we’re anything but typical. Recently, several zoning reform proposals were introduced in Nashville’s Metro Council garnering considerable local and even some national media attention. Some of these proposed policies include eliminating the requirement that lots... READ MORE

February 7, 2024 3:04PM

During his State of the State address earlier this week, Governor Bill Lee outlined his proposed program to offer every Tennessee family a voice in their child’s education. The program, dubbed Education Freedom Scholarships, would provide around $7,000 for a student to attend a school of their choice as well as pay for other approved... READ MORE

January 3, 2024 8:05PM

Today, we released our third quarterly Beacon Poll, a statewide poll of 1,302 registered Tennessee voters comprised of questions about political races, policy issues, and more. READ MORE

October 25, 2023 10:35AM

Today, we released our second quarterly Beacon Poll, a statewide poll of 1,181 registered Tennessee voters comprised of questions about political races, policy issues, sports questions and more. In one of the country’s most watched 2024 Senate races, the poll results find incumbent Senator Marsha Blackburn with leads over her two potential Democratic rivals, Gloria Johnson and... READ MORE

September 25, 2023 1:15PM

Today, the Beacon Center filed a First Amendment lawsuit against the state of Tennessee. Beacon is representing Will McLemore and other online auctioneers in a challenge to a Tennessee law that requires online auctioneers to be licensed. This law threatens the livelihoods of Will, his employees, and other online auctioneers across the state, many of... READ MORE

September 14, 2023 11:28AM

Mark and Taylor’s big takeaways on this episode of Decaf: – If you think Nashville property tax rates are bad, it could be worse (and it is in another big city in Tennessee). – If you are going to make a career of trying to take down school choice, maybe don’t send your kids to... READ MORE

September 8, 2023 11:27AM

✅ Knoxville residents are making moves toward more affordable housing. ✅ Should politicians have age limits? ✅ SEC teams were not looking great in week 1 of college football… ✅ Taylor has some controversial pizza-topping opinions. Get it all this week on Decaf! READ MORE

July 6, 2023 5:50AM

This morning the Beacon Center released our first non-partisan statewide poll which will be the first poll to be released quarterly throughout the state. The focus of this poll was to gain insight into what Tennesseans truly think about what’s going on in the state, and in the country. The poll examined nationally relevant issues... READ MORE

July 6, 2023 5:00AM

There is no consistent statewide survey that accurately assesses where Tennesseans stand on matters impacting their lives on an ongoing basis. Until now.  READ MORE

July 6, 2023 3:00AM

  Today, Beacon released the Beacon Poll, the first of many quarterly surveys asking Tennessee voters how they feel about a variety of issues. Groups and politicians conduct polls all the time, giving us a glimpse into voters’ perspectives on elections and pressing issues. But there is no consistent statewide survey that accurately assesses where Tennesseans... READ MORE

May 10, 2023 5:43PM

Today, the Beacon Center won an appeal in the 6th Circuit Court of Appeals which will protect property rights in Nashville. The Court ruled that the city of Nashville cannot avoid constitutional protections for private property simply by taking individuals’ property through legislative action. This was an enormous win for our plaintiffs and a reminder... READ MORE

February 21, 2023 12:51PM

Predicting how the Supreme Court will rule is usually a fool’s errand. But if you’re interested in animal welfare or really love bacon (or both!), you’re interested in the Dormant Commerce Clause. READ MORE

December 14, 2022 5:00AM

Today, the Beacon Center released its most famous annual publication, the Pork Report. As always the report shed light on hundreds of millions of dollars of wasteful spending in Tennessee. Examples in this year’s report range from the state’s no-bid contract for contact tracing given to a company with no previous experience to the unused homeless pods the city of... READ MORE

November 1, 2022 10:59AM

This data gives a clear choice for prospective students, university leadership, and state lawmakers. For prospective students, they can now see what they can reasonably expect to earn—and pay—for a degree. READ MORE

July 28, 2022 4:45PM

Tennessee has another tax-free holiday coming up this weekend, followed by a month-long sales tax holiday on groceries in August. In addition to the traditional annual sales tax holiday to coincide with the start of school, Gov. Lee and the legislature chose to return this year’s surplus revenue to taxpayers by also suspending the grocery... READ MORE

January 19, 2022 1:27PM

Entering the third year of the pandemic, one would hope public schools would have learned to adjust to the new normal and remain open for in-person learning. After all, schools received billions of dollars from the federal government to do just that. Even President Biden said, “I believe schools should remain open. They have what... READ MORE

May 27, 2021 10:35AM

We are pleased to announce a new addition to the Beacon Center team. Jason Coleman joined us recently as General Counsel & Director of Legal Affairs. “I have been a fan of Beacon for as long as I’ve known about them,” Jason said. “I’m very passionate about economic freedom and the right to earn a... READ MORE

March 3, 2021 11:22AM

Today, the Beacon Center announced that Vice President of Legal Affairs Braden Boucek will be leaving his full-time role at Beacon. He will remain on as a senior fellow for Beacon beginning April 1. Beacon CEO Justin Owen said, “While we are sad to lose his incredible talents in a full-time capacity, we are proud... READ MORE

February 4, 2021 11:59AM

This morning the Tennessee Supreme Court accepted the appeal to hear the Education Savings Account (ESA) case. Beacon appealed the ruling of lower courts that the ESA program violates the state’s home rule provision. Beacon Vice President of Legal Affairs Braden Boucek stated, “Not only is the ESA program constitutional, but it is also necessary... READ MORE

September 17, 2020 3:00PM

People move from other areas of the country to Tennessee for many reasons: no state income tax, relatively low property taxes, and business-friendly policies. One of those policies that often does not get the recognition it deserves is the Right to Work: a policy that allows workers to choose whether or not they join a... READ MORE

July 21, 2020 3:36PM

There is a reason why Tennessee continues to be one of the fastest-growing areas for families and businesses to move to, and we should be proud to advocate for change and lead by example as truly “America at Its Best.”  READ MORE

July 15, 2020 12:19PM

As we come within weeks of when schools would traditionally resume, school districts across the nation are grappling with how to safely do so. Some plan to proceed as normal with extra sanitation and social distancing protocols. Some are going virtual. Others are offering parents a choice between the two. But with many unanswered questions... READ MORE

July 2, 2020 10:02AM

By now, we hope you know about the Beacon Center’s City Freedom Index, but in case you missed it, check it out here. The Freedom Index is Beacon’s newest report informing Tennesseans on the lengths at which local government is regulating your daily life. Its purpose is to equip citizens so they can vote with... READ MORE

May 4, 2020 8:32PM

The Beacon Center respectfully disagrees with today’s ruling from the Davidson County Chancery Court that the ESA program is unconstitutional. This decision harms children in Davidson and Shelby County who are looking for a lifeline to receive a quality education starting this upcoming fall. Educational choice has consistently been deemed constitutional by courts across the country; this program does not unconstitutionally... READ MORE

April 2, 2020 2:02PM

Through technology and innovation, Tennessee is doing its part to find a vaccine for COVID-19 thanks in part to Summit—the world’s most powerful supercomputer—located at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory. The Summit supercomputer, built by IBM, is part of the newly formed COVID-19 High Performance Computing Consortium (HPCC) which has academic institutions, federal laboratories, and... READ MORE

March 17, 2020 4:25PM

With the COVID-19 pandemic, there will be many challenges facing our communities over the coming weeks and potentially months. But there will also be some exceptional stories of how innovation and good public policy rooted in the foundations of free enterprise will help lead us out of the crisis. We will witness how innovations like... READ MORE

March 16, 2020 2:58PM

Dear Supporters,  We certainly live in trying times. Between the recent tornadoes that ravaged many of our communities to the Coronavirus and related economic fallout, we all have a great deal on our minds right now. First and foremost, we pray that you and your family are safe and healthy. We would love to hear... READ MORE

December 9, 2019 4:27PM

When Will McLemore started McLemore Auction Company in 2006, it was one of the first online auction houses in the country. At the time, most auctioneers practiced exclusively in live auctions, but with the growth of online shopping, online auctions presented new opportunities for auctioneers to grow their businesses around the country. Will, with his... READ MORE

October 31, 2019 11:33AM

Brooke Harrell and her family live in Hurricane Mills, Tennessee, around 30 miles from Dickson where she works as a cosmetology instructor at Tennessee College of Applied Technology (TCAT). A graduate of TCAT-Dickson, Brooke has always lived in rural Tennessee, even though Nashville, less than 80 miles away is bursting with opportunities. Brooke’s husband is... READ MORE

October 24, 2019 4:48PM

We should cherish the free speech protections we still have and refrain from searching for self-gratifying ways of restricting some of those freedoms, lest we risk losing all of them. READ MORE

October 16, 2019 1:33PM

This week, Beacon was selected as a “Smart Bet” for 2020 by the Atlas Network. Atlas is an international network of think tanks from all over the world. At an upcoming U.S. Investors Summit in New York, just 10 of these think tanks will be given the opportunity to pitch to a group of successful... READ MORE

September 17, 2019 9:54AM

Today is Constitution Day. And on what should be a universally recognized holiday, I was privileged to be invited to speak at the illustrious Cato Institute on Constitutional Structure with two of the finest constitutional scholars in the land. Even though I am sure to be the yellow flavor Starburst in this particular packet, this... READ MORE

August 30, 2019 8:33AM

As Beacon starts to take a closer look at potential improvements to the welfare system in Tennessee, CEO Justin Owen has a closer connection with the issue than you might be aware. Justin spent most of his formative years living with his mother and his grandparents. He was unaware at the time that his mom... READ MORE

July 30, 2019 4:34PM

There are a lot of issues currently facing Nashville: massive levels of debt despite an unprecedented economic boom, crumbling infrastructure, a growing sense of an identity crisis, and fights over public employee pay raises. One would think these very real issues would be at the forefront of the council’s work and the mayoral race. But... READ MORE

March 6, 2019 3:32PM

The government shouldn’t have the power to require you to pay to do something on your own property that doesn’t hurt anybody, especially when it’s a kid trying to make a couple of bucks on a hot Saturday afternoon.   READ MORE

December 17, 2018 9:55AM

In the 13th annual Tennessee Pork Report, the Beacon Center once again revealed millions of dollars in government waste, fraud, and abuse ranging from a new taxpayer-funded MLS soccer stadium in Nashville to a Memphis company that was given $5 million just to move across town. READ MORE

December 14, 2018 9:41AM

‘Twas the night before Christmas, and as is tradition,We would like to say thank you for supporting our mission.This year was successful, and we hope you’ll agree,That our policy victories have made us more free. It’s the time of the year for you to uncork,Our report that is filled with overspending and porkOur Pork Report will... READ MORE

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