UNCATEGORIZED

Today, the U.S. Department of Labor will formally publish a final rule overturning the Biden administration’s 2024 overtime rule after multiple federal courts vacated the rule nationwide and the department declined to continue defending it on appeal. READ MORE

Tennessee taxpayers are about to spend millions on a Starbucks order they didn’t ask for. In April, the world’s largest coffee chain announced it would be opening a Southeast corporate office in Music City. READ MORE

Today, we released the latest installment of the Beacon Poll, a statewide survey of 1,200 Tennessee voters featuring questions about voters’ views on energy sources and production in Tennessee, the condition of roads and what revenue sources could be used to improve them, and political approval ratings at the state and federal level. READ MORE

On Thursday, April 23, 2026, the 114th Tennessee General Assembly adjourned sine die. From efforts to regulate data centers and pharmacy benefit managers, to a framework for state takeover of Tennessee’s lowest-performing school districts, legislators saw their fair share of robust policy debates this year. READ MORE

Tennessee’s rich nuclear history shows the state is a leader in nuclear energy and advanced technologies. With new technology and rising electricity demand, there are now opportunities for Tennessee to not only meet the energy needs of its growing population but also to be a model for the whole country in developing and deploying affordable, abundant energy.  READ MORE

Tennessee stands at a critical juncture facing unprecedented demands on the state’s energy infrastructure. By leveraging key opportunities, Tennessee can not only meet its own energy needs but also cement its role as a national model for abundant energy generation. READ MORE

Beacon is fighting back against immunity for arbitrary zoning decisions at the Supreme Court. READ MORE

The Volunteer State is building a serious energy future that will continue to anchor our leadership in the sector. Allowing competition and technology to improve our state's grid will not only make the state more attractive for investment but also keep more Tennesseans safe when it matters most. READ MORE

Executive Summary Technology is evolving like never before. Americans today benefit from rapid advancements in fields like artificial intelligence. These cloud-based advancements have a physical component: data centers. The data center industry has already generated trillions of dollars for the U.S. economy. And with companies projecting trillions of dollars more in investments to keep up... READ MORE

Tennessee has a choice: maintain outdated rules that restrict opportunity and choice or embrace reforms that respect individual rights, encourage productive achievement, and expand access to justice. READ MORE

"This awesome victory will help music made by people, together, in Music City, keeping creativity alive.”  READ MORE

Data centers may not be the typical industrial building, like a Nissan, General Motors, or Volkswagen plant, yet they are less of a boogey man than they are made out to be. READ MORE

With so much media coverage and discussion around a property tax cap, what is the reality of such a policy, and is one needed in Tennessee? READ MORE

We’ve made it just fine for more than 75 years without a state property tax, and we’ll be just fine in the future without one.  READ MORE

We’ve long called for reform to the practice of taxpayer-funded lobbying. But this NES response is probably the most glaring example of the need for reform. READ MORE

Today, we released the latest installment of the Beacon Poll, a statewide survey of 1,200 Tennessee voters featuring questions about voters’ views on property taxes, the federal school choice tax credit included in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, and political approval ratings at the state and federal level, and more. Tennesseans continue to prioritize key... READ MORE

We hope that TennSight will become the go-to source for you to learn what matters most to your fellow Tennesseans, why it matters, and what can be done about it. READ MORE

Taxpayer-funded lobbying (TFL) is nothing new in Tennessee, but it is almost universally frowned upon. READ MORE

Tennessee is doing well in providing Career and Technical Education (CTE) opportunities to students, but policymakers should recognize that improvements can be made. READ MORE

By elevating CTE in Tennessee schools, we can increase support for employers and improve workforce readiness for students across the state. READ MORE

Technical schools may not be the right choice for every high school graduate. Still, for those who have graduated from such programs, data shows they have the potential to make a good living while supporting their local communities, all while avoiding years of student loan payments. READ MORE

Current status: Along with EdChoice, we represent parents who have asked to intervene in defense of Tennessee’s EFS program in chancery court. A decision on our motion to intervene is expected later this year.  The Beacon Center of Tennessee, along with EdChoice, is intervening to defend Tennessee’s Education Freedom Scholarship (EFS) Program from legal attack.... READ MORE

If Tennessee wants to protect its residents in all aspects and truly take claim to being a low-tax state, lawmakers should look around the nation and see that we are in the small minority that fails to protect citizens from unjust property tax hikes. READ MORE

Today, we released the latest installment of the Beacon Poll, a statewide survey of 1,200 Tennessee voters featuring questions about voters’ views on socialism versus capitalism, the National Guard in Memphis, political violence, and more. In a surprising result that could have a national impact, a majority of Democrats in Tennessee hold a favorable view... READ MORE

This ruling is a landmark win for property owners and sends a clear message that government overreach will not go unchecked. READ MORE

By embracing Tennessee's nuclear roots, small modular reactor and micro modular reactor technologies will have a chance to thrive in a new era of energy independence. READ MORE

While the EFS success is a great reason to celebrate, there is more work to be done to unlock education freedom for all Tennesseans. READ MORE

Despite declining enrollment occurring all across the nation, recent news reports have claimed that the problem is specific to Tennessee because of the state's new Education Freedom Scholarships (EFS) program. Not only do these accusations wrongly place blame, many critics simply get the basics of the EFS program wrong. Let’s set the record straight.  READ MORE

Tell us about you—where you’re from, any fun facts about yourself, and where you spent your career prior to Beacon. I’m originally from Benton, Kentucky, a small town in the very western corner of the Bluegrass State. But, important to my upbringing, I am not a Wildcat! I spent four years in Nashville at Lipscomb... READ MORE

A majority of Tennesseans, 56% of voters, believe the cap on Education Freedom Scholarships should be lifted from where it currently sits at 20,000 so that all eligible families who applied this year can use the program, while 30% of Tennesseans disagree and believe the cap should remain where it is. Polling has shown consistent support... READ MORE