Summary of the Final FY 2021 Budget
Facing an expected $1.5 billion revenue shortfall over two years, Gov. Lee and state lawmakers turned to nearly every available tool to balance the budget.
Mandy joined The Sycamore Institute in 2016 as the Policy Director. She has the lead responsibility for developing the organization’s research plan and conducting and curating research and analysis.
Mandy holds a master’s degree in public policy with a health policy concentration from Georgetown University and a bachelor’s degree from Lipscomb University. Mandy brings with her over a decade of experience in health policy – including as a Presidential Management Fellow at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services advising senior HHS leadership under both President George W. Bush and President Barack Obama on budget policy issues and as the Health Policy Adviser to U.S. Representative Bill Pascrell (D-NJ), who served on the Ways and Means Committee during the drafting, consideration, and passage of the Affordable Care Act. She began her career in policy as an intern and then bill clerk in the Tennessee General Assembly.
Contact: Mandy Pellegrin
Unemployment Insurance in Tennessee
Over the last two decades, Tennesseans have been less likely than other out-of-work Americans to get unemployment benefits. Meanwhile, the value of those benefits has fallen
How Big Is Tennessee’s Revenue Drop Going to Be?
Early Projections of Coronavirus’ Effect on State Tax Collections
Four economists gave their best estimates of how the coronavirus pandemic will affect state tax revenue in the current and next fiscal years.
Which Tennessee Counties Might See the Largest Drop in Sales Tax Revenue?
An Analysis of Local Sales Taxes in the Great Recession
As the coronavirus' economic toll grows, the Great Recession offers clues for how falling sales tax revenues will affect county budgets.
How State Policy Shapes Local Governance in Tennessee
Tennessee's local governments often have the most impact on our daily lives, but state policies frequently shape their options, decisions, and priorities.
5 Ways to Measure Prosperity in Tennessee
What Common Economic Indicators Do and Don’t Tell Us
Unemployment, labor force participation, GDP, income, and poverty are five of the many ways to measure growth and prosperity in Tennessee.
Measuring Prosperity: Gross Domestic Product
What It Means, How Tennessee Is Doing, and the Trade-Offs
While GDP offers valuable insight into Tennessee's economy, there are many aspects of economic well-being it does not capture.
Measuring Prosperity: Labor Force Participation
What It Means, How Tennessee Is Doing, and the Trade-Offs
Tennessee’s labor force participation rate is consistently lower than the national average, but the gap has narrowed in recent years.
Measuring Prosperity: The Unemployment Rate
What It Means, How Tennessee Is Doing, and the Trade-Offs
The unemployment rate measures the share of Tennessee's labor force without a job, but not all working-age adults count as "in the labor force."
Measuring Prosperity: Poverty
What It Means, How Tennessee Is Doing, and the Trade-Offs
We measure poverty to gain insights into how many people have trouble meeting their basic needs.
