The Scoop: Turning 105

Sycamore Than You Knew

• How’s My District? ~ We have a few new dashboards! First, our newest dashboard shows socioeconomic indicators for each state House and Senatedistrict.
• Bill of Rural Health ~ A dashboard we created for the Rural Health Association of Tennessee provides information on health facility access, health professional shortage areas, maternal health, and context for Tennessee’s rural communities. 
• Dollars and Cents ~ Last month, we updated our federal K-12 funding in Tennessee dashboard through fiscal year 2025. Users can explore every school district by fiscal year with and without COVID relief dollars, compare districts, and see statewide funding.
• Snapshots ~ Want to understand what Education Freedom Scholarships are and the proposed expansion for fiscal year 2027? We have a quick overview for you. We also have an explainer on five things to know about property taxes in Tennessee.
• Celebrate With Us ~ You didn’t hear it from us, but we are down to the last 15% of seating capacity for the Annual Forum in May. Get your ticket today!
• In the Zone ~ It’s hard to talk about housing in Tennessee without discussing zoning and land use. Regardless of whether areas have a little or a lot of these rules, it can determine where builders choose to build. Our newest reportexplains.
• The Amendment ~ In March, we released our summary of the Governor’s FY 2027 amended budget. It explains reversions to the General Fund and proposed increases/decreases in spending.
• Join Our Team? ~ If you’ve ever wanted to join our team and work on timely issues facing Tennessee, now is your chance! We are hiring a Policy Research Analyst or Senior Policy Research Analyst to join our team. See the job description and apply here.
   

  Notes & Quotes ~

  • Nashville’s Fox 17 wrote about discussions regarding Tennessee’s grocery tax, explaining, “‘Tennessee has a pretty unique tax structure compared to other states,’ said Mandy Spears, executive vice president of The Sycamore Institute. ‘We are heavily dependent on the general sales tax in Tennessee, which includes a tax on groceries.’”
  • Fox 13 in Memphis highlighted Sycamore’s ACA work, “According to the Sycamore Institute, more than 109,000 Shelby County families relied on the Affordable Care Act, known as Obamacare, in 2025.”
  • Cookeville’s Herald-Citizen covered the housing event Sycamore held in the Upper Cumberland, writing, “‘I don’t have a silver bullet for this.’ That’s what developer and Cookeville City Council member Chad Gilbert told a roomful of people attending a regional housing policy summit at the Upper Cumberland Development District Thursday.”

Not From Around Here

• AI Bias ~ Online text is used to train AI textbots, like ChatGPT. When the Washington Post set out to learn more about what biases the program has about different states or cities, it didn’t always think too highly of the South. You can also see how cities compare favorably or not, and there’s information included on Memphis and Nashville.
• Birthday Party ~ America turns 250 this year, and it’s safe to say a lot has changed in that time. How has the US changed since our last milestone birthday of 200? Pew Research explains the biggest changes since 1976.
• A Cause for Celebration ~ Tennessee’s rural counties have less access to healthcare than urban areas, and it’s not uncommon to hear about rural hospital closures. In Perry County, they have news to celebrate. After losing their only hospital in 2020, it has been reopened. 
• Puppy Love ~ Last month, former President Biden adopted two black lab mixes, who found their new home in Delaware after leaving the mountains of Johnson County. What can we say? These dogs were raised on Southern hospitality.

Rated V for Video