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State Briefs

Tennessee signs on to opioid settlement with Purdue Pharma, Sackler family

Tennessee has signed on to a $7.4 billion settlement with Purdue Pharma and its owners, the Sackler Family, which would resolve litigation between the company and the family for their roles in creating and worsening the opioid crisis nationwide. Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti today...

Barn

'See Rock City' barns among TN additions to National Historic Register

The iconic “See Rock City” barns are among 10 locations in municipalities across Tennessee added to the National Register of Historic Places. In addition to the “See Rock City” barns in Crossville and other locations, new additions to the register include: Alamo’s Central High School, Chattanooga’s...

tourism numbers

Tennessee sets record $31.7B in tourism spending for 2024

Tennessee’s tourism industry set a new record in 2024, generating $31.7 billion in direct visitor spending and welcoming 147 million visits, according to newly released data from Tourism Economics and the Tennessee Department of Tourist Development. 

Tourism is a powerful economic driver across all...

unemployment

Tennessee May unemployment rate unchanged

Tennessee’s unemployment rate held steady in May at 3.5% and continues to track well below the national rate, according to the latest data from the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development (TDLWD). The state’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate in May was unchanged from the...

Movers

Tennessee second-most researched state for potential movers

Tennessee is the second-most researched state for potential movers. according to a recent analysis by U.S. News and World Report. In the first quarter of 2025, U.S. News tracked migration interest among U.S. residents via online searches and found South Carolina was the most researched followed by...

FAFSA

Tennessee top state for FAFSA completion

Tennessee now ranks No. 1 in the nation for FAFSA completion, according to the National College Attainment Network (NCAN), marking a major milestone in the state’s ongoing efforts to increase access to higher education. Tennessee achieved a 75.7% FAFSA completion rate among Tennessee Promise...

Tennessee April revenues $117.6M less than budgeted

Tennessee Department of Finance and Administration Commissioner Jim Bryson announced that revenues for April were $2.7 billion, which is $117.6 million less than budgeted estimates and $316.9 million less than April of last year. 

General fund revenues were $114.0 million less than the April estimate...

Lee Kuwait

Tennessee Governor, First Lady visit troops in Kuwait

Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee and First Lady Maria Lee traveled to the Middle East to visit more than 700 Soldiers from the Tennessee Army National Guard’s 278th Armored Cavalry Regiment. The task force, comprised primarily of soldiers from the 278th’s 2nd Squadron, is serving a year-long deployment in...

Unemployment

Tennessee April unemployment holds steady

Tennessee’s April unemployment remained steady at 3.5%. The seasonally-adjusted employment rate remained unchanged from March but was up from the 3.2% rate in April 2025. The national unemployment rate was 4.2% in April, unchanged from the previous month and up from 3.9% in April 2024. The trade...

Tennessee

Gov. Bill Lee announces historic investment in transportation

Gov. Bill Lee joined the Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT) in Memphis to announce a historic investment in infrastructure.  

For the first time in history, the state’s annual budget includes additional dedicated recurring General Fund dollars for transportation. The unprecedented $80...

HOspital

Rural Tennessee hospitals struggling to maintain labor and delivery services

A recent study has shown Tennessee’s rural hospitals may be losing labor and delivery services - even as the state rates second-worst in the country for maternal mortality rates.  A a new report from the Center for Health Care Quality and Payment Reform, a national health policy think tank, found...

Tennessee March revenue $33.3M less than estimated

Tennessee Department of Finance and Administration Commissioner Jim Bryson announced that revenues for March were $1.6 billion, which is $33.3 million less than the budgeted estimates and $69.3 million less than March of last year. 

General fund revenues were $35.4 million less than the March...