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State Briefs

Tennessee State Capitol

Sycamore Institute report expresses concern about state transportation, lottery scholarship funding

The Sycamore Institute's annual State Budget Primer is highlighting what the organization considers “structural deficits” in the Tennessee budget related to transportation funding and lottery-funded scholarships. The report from the nonpartisan research organization listed the concerns under a new...

Tennessee children statistics

Tennessee falls in annual state rankings of child wellbeing

Tennessee fell in annual rankings for education, economic-wellbeing and over-all wellbeing for children in 2025. The Annie E. Casey Foundation released its study ranking states on a variety of child wellbeing measures. Tennessee ranked 37 in overall wellbeing and 42 in economic wellbeing. While...

Tennessee Mountain

Tourism generated $32.5B in Tennessee economy in 2025

Tennessee’s tourism economy increased by 2.7% year-over-year and generated $32.5 billion in direct visitor spending in 2025, according to a recent reported by the Tennessee Department of Tourist Development. Other highlights from the report found Tennessee saw 150 million visitors in 2025 with $89...

June 2026 Unemployment

Tennessee unemployment dips in June 2026

Tennessee’s unemployment rate dipped to 3.5% in June, matching its lowest point of the year. Data from the the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development (TDLWD) put the June rate at one-tenth of a percentage point down from the previous month and unchanged from its year-over-year month...

TN Department of Revenue

Tennessee June 2026 revenues above estimates, despite declines in fuel taxes

Tennessee revenues exceeded budgeted estimates for the month of June. 

Department of Finance and Administration Commissioner Jim Bryson reported that total June tax revenues were $2.5 billion, $281.8 million more than the budgeted estimate and $182.2 million more than June 2025. The total tax growth...

Population estimates

First Certified Population Reports now available

The Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development (TNECD) has released the 2026 Certified Population of Tennessee Incorporated Municipalities and Counties. 

Patriot Paths

Patriot Paths showcases Tennessee's Revolutionary history

The Tennessee State Library & Archives (TSLA) has unveiled an upgraded website allowing Tennesseans to trace Revolutionary War veterans who migrated to the state following the war.  

The website, Patriot Paths: Mapping Tennessee’s American Revolution Pension Applications, is an interactive digital...

TEMA

TEMA announces name change, department transition

The Tennessee Emergency Management Agency has become the Tennessee Emergency Management Authority (TEMA) has transitioned to a standalone cabinet-level department. TEMA was previously housed in the Department of Military. As i new standalone department, officials said TEMA will have better ability...

FHWA announces ATTAIN grants open until July 27

The Federal Highway Administration Tennessee Division is reminding potential applicants of upcoming deadlines for the ATTAIN Competitive Grant Program. 

The program funds the deployment, installation, and operation of advanced transportation technologies to improve safety, mobility, efficiency...

TDEC announces consolidation, renaming of divisions

The Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC) has consolidated the Division of Remediation and Division of Solid Waste Management into the new Division of Land Protection. The Division of Remediation and Division of Solid Waste will now be referred to as the Division of Land...

TDOE unveils TCAP assessment scores

The Tennessee Department of Education (TDOE) has released the state-level overview and the full 2025-26 TCAP assessment data to the public. These results include English Language Arts, mathematics, and social students but not science, which is in a standard-setting year. According to the results, 42...

Tennessee ranks sixth in nation for heart disease risk

Health officials are shining a light on heart disease with Tennessee ranking as the state with the sixth highest heart disease mortality rate. New data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) found heart disease is the leading contributing factor for death in most Americans and...