RESEARCH

In 2020, Beacon released its first-ever City Freedom Index to shed light on the ways taxpayers are impacted by local government policies. Five years and many changed local policies later, the time has come for an update.  READ MORE

Simple policy solutions could remove some of the more heavy-handed regulations and improve the ability for educational entrepreneurs to offer more educational options for Tennessee students. READ MORE

The "winner" of the Pork of the Year will be chosen by the people of Tennessee in the January Beacon Poll, and the winner will be announced with the rest of the poll results on Monday, January 6th. READ MORE

With billions going towards expanding wired broadband to the most rural parts of the nation, Beacon looked at the performance and viability of currently active GONs. READ MORE

To further enhance Tennessee's economy, lawmakers should look at implementing additional tax reforms. READ MORE

With Blue Oval City on the horizon, it is more important than ever for local policymakers to review and reform outdated and arbitrary zoning laws. READ MORE

In the coming months, county commissioners will be taking up school board budgets. These discussions and votes are an annual occurrence, though this year’s discussion may have a different tone than years past. Billions of federal relief dollars are set to expire in September 2024 coupled with the state witnessing declining enrollments and increased staff,... READ MORE

Beacon’s newest report, “A Dose of Free Market Medicine” compares Tennessee’s laws and regulations around pharmacists and compares it to recent reforms in other states such as Florida, Iowa, Kansas, and most notably Idaho. READ MORE

Over the past few years, educational choice programs that allow students to use a portion of their education dollars to attend schools that best fit their needs have experienced sweeping changes. By 2023, dozens of states had educational choice programs and ten states enacted universal or near-universal universal choice legislation, affording educational options to every... READ MORE

Have you ever put on a jacket or pair of pants and found a $20 bill in the pocket? Or got to the end of the month and realized you have more money left than you thought? It’s a great feeling isn’t it? You feel like you have the freedom to go and spend it... READ MORE

For at least a decade before the pandemic, Tennessee leaders have practiced conservative budgeting, keeping increases in state spending below population growth plus inflation. This saved Tennessee taxpayers billions of dollars, allowing for further pro-growth tax cuts. As the state is finally spending the last of its federal relief funds, it is more important than... READ MORE

To explore our interactive zoning map of Middle Tennessee, click here. It seems not a day goes by without another news story showcasing how housing is becoming unaffordable, especially in Tennessee. And it’s not surprising. In 2020, Tennessee became the number one state for in-migration for the first time, according to U-Haul.1 Ever since, the... READ MORE