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It’s October, and early voting in Tennessee is well underway. In terms of the total number of early votes cast, Shelby County leads the state, which makes sense given that it is Tennessee’s most populous county. But when you look at early voting as a share of registered voters, Loudon County leads the way.
Sycamore Than You Knew
- Issues to Watch ~ We are releasing an ongoing series on the key issues facing Tennessee for decision-makers and voters to know. We’ve recently published three more:
- Incarceration ~ A brief overview of how Tennessee’s criminal justice system works and five trends to watch.
- Housing ~ This brief offers six insights about housing trends in Tennessee, policy trade-offs, and one new year of data on housing prices.
- Health Insurance ~ Learn five things about health insurance coverage in Tennessee, including coverage rates for all 95 counties.
- The Big Picture ~ Join the Sycamore Institute on November 6 for our 3rd annual statewide Policy Summit. The theme this year is Tennessee’s Fiscal Future: Challenges & Opportunities for State & Local Government. Ticket sales end Friday!
- Welcome Party ~ Katja Vinha recently joined our team as Senior Policy Research Analyst. We asked her a few questions to get to know her better!
Not From Around Here
- The Cost of Counsel ~ “In television shows such as “Law & Order,” viewers often hear variations on the same refrain: ‘You have a right to an attorney. If you cannot afford an attorney, one will be provided for you.’ But what does affordability mean in the context of legal representation? And who gets a free lawyer when they go to court? If you belong to the 52% of adults in the United States who are considered middle class, you almost certainly would not.”
- Still Growing ~ The Tennessee Emergency Management Authority shared about resilience, preparedness, and the new growth of tomatoes on Jackson Island after Hurricane Helene. They also shared a recipe for Jackson Island Tomato Margherita Pizza!
- On Foot ~ The U.S. is an outlier when it comes to pedestrian deaths. Since 2009, pedestrian fatalities have increased while they have decreased in other developed nations. The Wall Street Journal tells the story of “stroads” and uses the state-owned Union Avenue in Memphis to do it.
Rated G for Graph
Dusting Off the Archives
- A lot of conversations have been happening about property taxes, so what are the key things to know? This brief explains the role of local property taxes for Tennessee counties and how policies affecting them may impact communities differently.
