The Beacon Center of Tennessee, formerly the Tennessee Center for Policy Research (TCPR), is a non-profit free-market think tank based in Nashville, Tennessee. The Center's research areas include tax and economic policy, education policy, and healthcare policy. The organization is a member of the State Policy Network. In 2007 TCPR issued a report asserting that Al Gore's residence in Belle Meade, Tennessee, used more than 20 times the energy of a typical home in the United States. It supported the repeal of Tennessee's estate tax and has advocated for tort reform and school choice and against civil forfeiture. History and overview TCPR was founded in 2004 by Drew Johnson. Johnson left TCPR at the end of 2009. Justin Owen became president in August 2010. TCPR estimated that its 2008 income would total about $400,000 for the year, roughly double its previous year's finances. The increase from 2007 to 2008 was attributed to publicity from its 2007 report on Al Gore's energy use. The organization received $481,000 in donations in 2012, with contributions totaling $1.2 million in 2013. The Beacon Center receives 54 percent of its funding from foundations, 43 percent from individual donors, 1.5 percent from corporate donations and 1.5 percent from other sources. In September 2011, the organization announced that it had changed its name to "Beacon Center of Tennessee." In a message to supporters, president Justin Owen indicated that the new name would represent the organization's new mission, "to light the way for freedom and prosperity" in the state. The Beacon Center is a member of the State Policy Network (SPN), a U.S. network of state-specific free-market oriented think tanks. SPN provides funding, training and other support for its member groups. Activities and positions The Beacon Center publicizes its views through publications, press releases, media interviews, and guest columns. Its publications include the annual "Tennessee Pork Report" (co-published with Citizens Against Government Waste) and a Legislators’ Guide to the Issues. Fiscal issues Beacon supports reductions in state government spending and the elimination or reduction of several Tennessee state taxes. The organization supports an amendment to the Tennessee Constitution to ban a state income tax in order to "quash...attempts to pass such a tax once and for all." In 2014, Tennessee citizens voted for a constitutional amendment to ban a state income tax. In 2012, the Beacon Center was involved in repealing Tennessee's Death tax. Beacon has advocated reducing