RESEARCH

What are the requirements for occupational licenses in Tennessee, and are they becoming more or less onerous over time? READ MORE

In direct response to students and parents who felt they had no voice in public education, nearly half of all states created, expanded, or improved educational choice programs. READ MORE

While Tennessee is generally considered a more free-market-oriented state, one area it regulates more heavily is in occupational licensing, essentially a government permission slip to do a job. READ MORE

The Beacon Center is proud to release its “recipe book” themed Tennessee Pork Report, revealing hundreds of millions of dollars in government waste, fraud, and abuse. This year’s infamous Pork of the Year “winner” was Metro Nashville Public Schools (MNPS). MNPS entered into an $18 million no-bid contract with Meharry Medical College Ventures which produced... READ MORE

As we have witnessed with Nashville Mayor Cooper’s recent faux pas, a misunderstanding of the state’s Truth in Taxation law can at best create confusion among taxpayers, or at worst, be used to deceive them. Additionally, while the law does prevent Tennesseans from automatically paying higher property taxes, it has clearly provided little defense against... READ MORE

If Tennessee is investing more each year in education funding, yet nearly half those dollars do not make it to the classroom, it begs the question of how public education is funded in the first place. READ MORE

If Tennessee lawmakers do commit and embark on creating the most free and innovative economy the nation has ever seen, who knows? Someday soon the Tennessee Valley will be the new Silicon Valley. READ MORE

For several decades and under the control of both Republicans and Democrats, Tennessee has been known for its fiscally conservative budgeting. Years of limited spending and low taxes have kept hundreds of millions of dollars in the pockets of Tennessee taxpayers that might otherwise have gone to government bloat. In fact, according to the Tax... READ MORE

The report examines the ways Tennessee is currently spending money and where improvement is needed. READ MORE

The Beacon Center has released a brand new research report measuring the economic and health impacts of the COVID policies of four different states. The states measured were Tennessee, Kentucky, Georgia, and Michigan and were chosen to see how states that imposed tougher economic restrictions in the name of public safety fared compared to states... READ MORE

There is hope on the horizon for rural education. READ MORE

From Memphis to Johnson City, there is no shortage of government waste in Tennessee this year. READ MORE