The Scoop: Nobody Trashes TN

June 27, 2025

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It’s June, and around 200 volunteers worked to remove over 46,000 pounds of trash from the Tennessee River. While the cleanups took place at four regional lakes, most of the trash was collected from Douglas Lake, which Hurricane Helene impacted. The cleanup surpassed the previous record by more than 10,000 pounds of trash.

Sycamore Than You Knew

Housing Levers ~ Our most recent report explains the policy levers available at the local, state, and federal levels that affect housing access in Tennessee. This report contextualizes supply-side and demand-side affordability factors and how policy choices affect each of them. Stay tuned for more information about the September 18 housing summit!
The Kids Count ~ Tennessee ranked 37th in the nation in overall child well-being according to the 2025 KIDS COUNT Data Book, which was released earlier this month.
Nonprofit Compensation ~ In 2024, we collaborated with the Tennessee Nonprofit Network to produce a nonprofit compensation survey for nonprofit leaders to better understand benefits and pay for nonprofit employees across the state. The newly released report is available now.
Oops! ~ We recently found an issue with our Contact Us form. If you’ve tried to contact us and haven’t received a response, please try again.
Welcome ~ Memphians Veronica Jamison and Dan Springer recently joined the Sycamore board. Join us in welcoming them!
Work with Us ~ We’re hiring a Policy Director to lead our research team. If you—or someone you know—wants to make a real impact in public policy without picking sides, apply by July 11.

Not From Around Here

Monkey Trial ~ The 1925 Scopes Trial is having its 100th anniversary this year. Originally a publicity stunt, the case about evolution in schools became one of the most famous in American history. Catch the annual reenactment of the trial next month in Dayton.
News Gaps ~ Democrats and Republicans tend to get their news from different news sources. Republicans tend to get their news from a concentrated group of outlets, with Fox News being the most common. Democrats, on the other hand, tend to look at a wider range of outlets, with CNN, NBC, and ABC being the most common. Similar amounts of both parties read the Wall Street Journal, Forbes, and the New York Post. AllSides tracks bias in the news, and you can see where the organizations stack up.
Collateral Contempt ~ More in Common uses this term to describe when contempt for one party is erroneously applied to non-partisan groups, such as faith communities, social groups, and civic clubs. As Americans have increasingly negative attitudes toward the party they are not in, they tend to dislike groups they associate with that party, even if the association is unfair.
Visit Tennessee ~ Tennessee tourism achieved a new record in 2024, with more than 140 million visitors spending over $31.7 billion in our state.

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Property Taxes Are the Largest Source of Local Revenue for Most Tennessee Counties

Dusting Off the Archives

Conversations about property taxes have been happening across the state this year. Our September report explains that county property taxes vary, and tax rates alone don’t tell the whole story.

Authors: Grace Baron