Beacon Center of Tennessee’s Tackle the Hall Tax Project Named Finalist For Prestigious Templeton Freedom Award

WASHINGTON, Sept. 14, 2017 --

Nashville-based Beacon Center of Tennessee was named one of six finalists for this year's prestigious $100,000 Templeton Freedom Award for its “Tackle the Hall Tax” project, which led to the successful repeal of Tennessee’s only income tax.

"We were proud to play a role in making Tennessee freer and more prosperous by becoming entirely income tax-free,” said Justin Owen, president and CEO of Beacon Center. “Our ability to secure a repeal of the Hall Income Tax proves that even organizations with small budgets and staffs can still make a big impact. Our friends across the globe face enormous challenges defending freedom and free enterprise. If they are bold, they can achieve great things for their fellow citizens, even without massive budgets or expansive staffs."

The centerpiece of the “Tackle the Hall Tax” project was a 30-second sports-themed video explaining why the Hall Income Tax was bad for Tennesseans. In just six weeks, the online video was viewed more than 4.4 million times. In that same period the project generated more than 75,000 emails to legislators in support of repealing the tax. Polling before and after the campaign showed that support for repealing the tax rose from 42 percent to 58 percent in that short time span. This relentless advocacy culminated in a full repeal of the Hall Tax, a tremendous feat as this is only the second time in history that a state has eliminated an income tax. As a result, Tennessee taxpayers are projected to save over $300 million per year.

"Beacon Center scored a major victory with the repeal of the Hall Tax in the wake of its compelling research and communication campaign,” said Atlas Network CEO Brad Lips. “This is the model of effective public engagement that should be studied by others who want to rein in tax-and-spend governments."

What: Beacon Center’s “Tackle the Hall Tax” project named one of six finalists for Atlas Network's prestigious $100,000 Templeton Freedom Award

When: Nov. 8, 2017, 7:30 p.m.

Where: Liberty Forum & Freedom Dinner closing ceremony – Capitale, 130 Bowery, New York, NY 10013 (Bowery and Grand St.)

Press Contact: [email protected] or 202-449-8441

Awarded since 2004, the Templeton Freedom Award is named for the late investor and philanthropist Sir John Templeton. The award annually honors his legacy by identifying and recognizing the most exceptional and innovative contributions to the understanding of free enterprise, and the public policies that encourage prosperity, innovation, and human fulfillment via free competition. The award is generously supported by Templeton Religion Trust and will be presented during Atlas Network's Liberty Forum & Freedom Dinner gala dinner ceremony Nov. 8, 2017 in New York City. The winning organization will receive a $100,000 prize and the runners-up will each receive $25,000. 

The 2017 Templeton Freedom Award finalists are:

• Beacon Center of Tennessee (Nashville, Tenn., United States) – “Tackle the Hall Tax” project
• Georgia Center for Opportunity (GCO) (Norcross, Ga., United States) – “Prisoner Reentry Initiative”
• IMANI Center for Policy and Education (Accra, Ghana) – “IMANIFesto” initiative
• Institute for Entrepreneurial Studies (IEE) (Porto Alegre, Brazil) – Fórum da Liberdade
• Mexican Institute for Competitiveness (IMCO) (Mexico City, Mexico) – “Anticorruption Reform Initiative for Mexico, 3for3”
• Macdonald-Laurier Institute for Public Policy (MLI) (Ottawa, Canada) – "Aboriginal Canada and the Natural Resource Economy” project

About Beacon Center of Tennessee

Based in Nashville, Tenn., the Beacon Center is a nonprofit, nonpartisan, and independent organization dedicated to providing expert empirical research and timely free-market solutions to public policy issues in Tennessee. Its mission is to empower Tennesseans to reclaim control of their lives so that they can freely pursue their version of the American Dream.

About Atlas Network

Washington-based Atlas Network is a nonprofit organization that strengthens the worldwide freedom movement by connecting more than 470 independent partners in over 90 countries that share the vision of a free, prosperous, and peaceful world where limited governments defend the rule of law, private property, and free markets.

Attachments:

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/185ddc4c-1aae-4b0f-8718-2404faa03b0e

Attachments:

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/3541f551-bb7e-4c75-bbfb-d74380bb477a

Daniel Anthony
Atlas Network
2024498441
[email protected]